Onam in 2024: Celebrating Kerala’s Grand Festival Across India

Onam is one of the famous festivals that are celebrated in India. It is an annual harvest festival celebrated mostly in Kerala. On this day, people celebrate the homecoming of King Bali. He was hailed as a Demon King, who ruled Kerala in its most prestigious days.

Onam is celebrated for ten days, with separate events on each day. People of all age tend to enjoy this festival. It is celebrated at the beginning of the first month in the Malayalam calendar, which is known as Chingam. The celebration of this festival began on 6th September and will last till 15th September.

The Legend Behind the Festival

Onam has a very interesting story behind it. Its origin is coupled with the return of the Demon King Mahabali. Supposedly, King Mahabali was a very good king of Kerala and under his rule, Kerala became a very prosperous kingdom. He made sure that his subjects were living with joy and had enough resources. Soon, Demon King Mahabali started gaining power, and this appeared as a threatening issue for the other gods. Thus, they came to Lord Vishnu for assistance.

Lord Vishnu brilliantly disguised himself as a dwarf Brahmin, Vamana. He visited the court of the Demon King and begged him for as much land as he could cover in 3 paces. Being the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Vamana was omnipresent. Thus, he covered the entire universe with two of his paces. With no more land left, he bowed before Lord Vamana, offering his head for the third step. Lord Vishnu was very satisfied with his devotion.

Lord Vishnu blessed him and sent him to the netherworld, allowing him to visit his subjects only once in a year. Thus, his homecoming became the cause for celebration for his loyal subjects.

A Grand Celebration

Onam is a celebration of happiness, unity, and vibrant customs that is being celebrated to the fullest. Ten days of the festival are rich in traditions, various dance and music performances, and people’s meetings. Everyone gets engaged in various activities in order to celebrate Onam, which joins people of different ages. Each year, people in Kerala look forward to the celebration to exhibit their cultural values.

The Vibrant Traditions of Onam in Kerala

Onam is celebrated in the state of Kerala. It has various traditional things that are associated with the spirit of this festival. Flower carpets, locally known as Pookkalam, are another major attraction of Onam, and they are placed in front of homes. These floral designs were created as a welcome for King Mahabali into the place. During the ten days of the Onam festival, people make the Pookkalam, adding new flowers to it. Thus it becomes more colorful and greater in size.

The Grand Onam Sadhya

Every festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in God’s own country. The feast associated with Onam is known as Onam Sadhya. Moreover, this nicely organised meal has several dishes that are served on a banana leaf. Some of the items of this meal are rice, sambar, avial, moor (Thoran) olan, and pickles, accompanied by different types of payasam. In Onam Sadhya, each dish is of a different taste. All these dishes are special and made with a lot of dedication. The Onam Sadhya is eaten together with the members of the family, and this symbolises togetherness. 

Similarly, other art forms are also performed during the Onam festival in Kerala, which makes the festival more cultural. Onam festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm and energy. Locals opt to dance in Kathakali, a dance drama characterised by its costumes and bright paint on the face. Pulikali, a kind of folk art in which performers draw their bodies like tigers and move rhythmically to the beats of music. These performances are lively and an eye-opener to bring out the actual feel of the mythological tales. 

Bonding Through the Spirit of Onam 

People of all professions, relationships, and all ages will come together to celebrate the Onam 2024. It will be celebrated with the same affection and togetherness. When on the festival, families and friends go visiting bearing various sorts of gifts for one another. The celebration of Onam in Kerala does not restrict to any particular classification of the people. It is open to all, entailing all citizens. Starting from the Pookkalam to the Snake Boat Race to the Onam Sadhya, every part of the celebration of Onam symbolises the concept of unity and harmony. 

Bringing People Together 

Onam is mainly a festival of Kerala; the festival has gained popularity among people in other parts of the country. It is also celebrated with much fun by the Malayalis. Malayali people all around the world will join hands to continue this festival. There are various activities. These include cultural performances, community meetings, and feasts that give out the spirit of Onam in the state of Kerala. This is a time when people of Malayali origin feel that they are owners of a rich tradition and culture.

The importance of Onam in Today’s World

Many people in the present generation encounter a lot of challenges in their day-to-day business activities. Hence, they neglect their traditional practices, like festivals, for example, Onam. Onam is not a festival in the normal conventional way but is indeed a festival of life, love, and unity. It teaches us to cherish our relationships, love our culture, and accept the existence of other people and their way of life. Additionally, such messages of unity and peace set by Onam can be brought into people’s life.

Conclusion 

Onam is a festival of Kerala’s culture and traditions. The people of Kerala and the Malayali Association are looking forward to welcoming Onam 2024 with utter pleasure. Onam celebrated in Kerala is comparatively distinct from other festivals. The people celebrate Onam with traditional colors, music, dance, traditional games, devil dances, feasts, etc. Onam is a symbol of telling the people of this country that together, we can bring prosperity and joy.

With the diverse culture of India, any month is a festive season. The same is for September. Explore all the Indian Festivals in September here!.

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