Onam, one
of the biggest festivals in southern India, is a 10-day long celebration of the
return of King Mahabali annually as well as the Vaman avatar of Lord Vishnu. This
year, festivities kicked-off on August 12. But the main festival, the one that
is celebrated widely in Kerala, will start with Thiruvonam on August 21. August
22 will be the third day of Onam and the festival will conclude on August 23.

Date

According
to the Malayalam calendar, Onam is celebrated on the day of Thiruvonam nakshatram
(Shravana asterism) in the month of Chingam.

Historical
and mythological significance

King
Mahabali, the demon king, was regarded as generous and kind. His reign is considered
the golden era of Kerala. Onam celebrates the return of the demon king. According
to Vaishnava mythology, King Mahabali came to power by defeating the gods and
taking over the three worlds.

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Unhappy at
Mahabali’s popularity, the gods sought Lord Vishnu’s help to take the demon king
down. Lord Vishnu agreed but did not want to partake in battle as King Mahabali
was an ardent devotee.

Thus, in
order to help the other gods, Lord Vishnu took the form of a poor, dwarf Brahmin
(Vishnu’s Vamana avatar from the Dasavatara) and visited Mahabali asking the
king to grant him three wishes.

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The Brahmin
first asked for property rights over land that measures three paces, King Mahabali
agreed. Then suddenly, Lord Vishnu in the Brahmin avatar grew in size and
covered the entire area that Mahabali ruled over in two steps. For the third
step, Mahabali offered his head.

Impressed
by Mahabali’s devotion, Lord Vishnu allowed him to return to earth once a year.
Onam is celebrated to mark this return. It is also a rice harvest festival.

Festivities

Onam
celebrations see grand feasts being prepared known as ‘onasadya’. Thirteen
dishes are served on banana leaves. The food usually consists of rice, pickles,
papad and different other dishes. The meal ends with a dessert called ‘payasam’
— an absolute must in Onam. It is made of rice, milk, sugar and coconut. Boat
races and traditional dances are also held during the festival.