5 Reasons to Visit Kerala During Onam
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Kerala is one of the most beautiful places in India and is called ‘God’s own country’ for its scenic landscapes and lush greenery. It attracts tourists from within the country and abroad. People come to Kerala for many reasons. Some come to enjoy its natural beauty. Others come to experience the healing powers of Ayurveda, and many also come to savor its delicious cuisine. Kerala is also known for its rich culture and art forms. And if you are planning to visit this beautiful state, the Onam season would be a particularly good time. Let us see why.
Onam and the Myth of Mahabali
Onam festival is the most important festival in Kerala. It is observed to welcome the harvest season and also its legendary ruler Mahabali, who is believed to visit the state every year during this period. Legend says that Kerala was a very peaceful and prosperous place during King Mahabali’s reign. He was a just ruler, and everyone lived as equals in his kingdom. Mahabali belonged to the Asura clan, and seeing his power and influence grow in leaps and bounds, the gods became nervous.
The gods approached Lord Vishnu and requested him to cut Mahabali down to size. Vishnu came down to earth as Vamana, an impoverished dwarf Brahmin and deceived the generous king into sacrificing his power over all the realms. He also pushed him down into the underground or Patal.
But he also gave him a boon by which Mahabali could return to Kerala every year for a few days and bless his beloved subjects. Onam festival is thus a celebration of Mahabali’s return to Kerala.
Malayalis go all out to celebrate Onam. The festival is a riot of colors, sounds, and smells. Beautiful and intricate floral rangolis, traditional art forms, sumptuous feasts, thrilling snake boat races...Onam presents a smorgasbord of experiences that provide a feast for the senses. It is also a time when friends and families get together from all corners of the world. For Onam is a feeling that runs in their veins and tugs at their hearts, wherever they happen to be. Hence, when it comes to Malayalis, all roads lead to Kerala, come Onam time!
If you want to visit Kerala, Onam is definitely an ideal time. Here are 5 reasons to visit this enchanting state during the Onam festival.
Onasadya
Kerala cuisine is famous all over the world. And the Onam festival presents a wonderful opportunity to savor the delicious food of Kerala. Onasadya, a grand vegetarian feast, is an important part of Onam celebrations. This elaborate feast comprises at least 15 dishes. They include parippu curry, sambar, rasam, nenthiran chips, sharkkaravaratti, injikkari, kaalan, thoran, aviyal, koottukari, achar, pachadi, erissheri, pulissery, pappadam, olan, 3 types of payasam, etc. This traditional feast is prepared by families on Thiruvonam day, the last day of the 10-day Onam festival. The feast is served on plantain leaves. One can savor the rich culinary heritage of Kerala through the Onasadya.
It is a rich repast, the taste of which lingers on your tastebuds as well as memory, forever.
Pulikkali
‘Pulikkali’ or ‘tiger dance’ is a unique folk art form of Kerala and is performed mainly during Onam. It takes place on the fourth day of Onam. The performers paint stripes of yellow, red, and black on their bodies to resemble tigers and dance to the accompaniment of traditional percussion instruments such as udukku, chenda, and thakil. The carnival takes place in Swaraj Ground in Thrissur district. Locals and visitors, too, take part in the revelry.
Hunting is the main theme of Pulikkali. Artists play the roles of tigers and hunters. They use oil paints for the make-up, which is hard to remove. The dance is not only entertaining but also amusing.
Such colorful events and Onam rituals and events offer compelling reasons to visit Kerala at this time.
Athachamayam
The Onam festivities commence with the grand Athachamayam procession from Thripunithura to Thrikkakara Temple. It reenacts the triumphant march of the Maharaja of Kochi from Tripunithura, which was the capital of the Cochin state in those days, to the Vamana Temple at Thrikkakara to attend the kodiyettu (flag hoisting) ceremony.
This is also a cultural fiesta which gives you a rare opportunity to see many of the folk art forms of Kerala. It takes place every year on the Atham star/Nakshatra day of Chingam month (mid-August – mid-September), in Thripunithura, near Kochi. The ceremony commemorates the victory of the King of Kochi. The magnificent procession represents the King and his entourage. Floats, caparisoned elephants, musical performances, and diverse folk art forms form part of the parade. It is a beautiful sight that you will remember for a long time.
Vallamkali
The iconic snake boat races, called Vallamkali, are among the greatest attractions of the Onam festival. It is a thrilling sight to watch the sinuous, snake-like boats slicing through the tranquil backwaters and lakes of Kerala as the crews sing lustily and pull the oars in unison. Many teams from all over the state compete in the races. The long snake boats are called Chundan Vallam in local parlance. The oarsmen revere the boats as their Gods.
Every village has a Chundan Vallam of its own. For the oarsmen, participating in and winning the race is a matter of great pride and prestige. Many races take place during Onam, but the greatest of them all is the Nehru Trophy, which takes place on the Punnamada Lake in Alleppey.
Thrikkakara Temple
Kerala boasts many famous temples dedicated to various deities. One such temple is the Thrikkakara temple, which is one of the few temples for Lord Vamana, the 5th avatar of Lord Vishnu, who is associated with the story of Mahabali and the Onam festival. Hence, the temple features prominently in the Onam festivities. On the first day or Atham, the kodiyettu (flag hoisting) takes place at the temple. On the 10th day, or Thiruvonam day, aarattu takes place, where the idol of the deity is dipped in a small pool called the Danodaka poyka. It was from this pool that Mahabali supposedly took water in his palm to symbolically make the offering to Vamana. Thiruvonam Nakshatra is the birth star of Lord Vamanamoorthy.
Thrikkakara lies 2 km east of Idappally, near Kochi. It means ‘the holy place where the Lord placed his foot’. Apart from the Mahabali legend, there is another legend about this place. It says that Sage Kapila did penance here, and Vishnu appeared before him here. Vishnu decided to stay in this place at the sage’s behest.
Many cultural events take place within the temple premises during Onam.
The Onasadya at Thrikkakara temple is a gastronomic experience of the highest order, which has its own traditions and legends around it. The Sadya is served at the temple on all 'Thiru Onam' days throughout the year.