Onam

Onam is a harvest festival celebrated in Kerala. Home decorations, preparation of traditional dishes, and classical dance are some of the common practices followed on this day. Chingam, the Malayalam month, brings an abundance of joy and prosperity.

The people across the state of Kerala celebrate this festival with great fervor. Onam is a ten-day festival that commences on Atham star and ends on Thiruvonam star. Being a popular festival, it is an epitome of affluence, prosperity, and plenitude.

How the celebrations take place?

The festival is also celebrated by non-Hindu communities of the state of Kerala. The celebrations of Onam include boat races, martial arts, music, plantain offerings, masked dances, folk songs, group dances, and other performances.

Main festive Onam attractions are:

Thripunithura Athachamayam: The festival of Thripunithura Athachamayam features a street parade attended by decorated elephants, musicians, and various traditional Kerala art forms. The festival has interesting beginnings that can be traced back to Kochi’s Maharaja.

Thrikkakara Temple: Thrikkakara temple is famously associated with the festival of Onam. The main highlight is the grand procession. Ceremonies begin with a flag hoisting.

Feasting: Onam is incomplete without a festival feast. It is referred to as Onasadya traditionally. It consists of a few varieties of vegetarian dishes and milk-based sweets.

Pulikkali Tiger Play: The art of Pulikkali is one of the quirkiest festivals in the country where dancers dress up as tigers and dance through the streets imitating the tiger’s steps to the accompaniment of musical instruments. The best-dressed tiger is awarded.

Aranmula Snake Boat Race: Snake boat race is another highlight of the Kerala Onam festival where traditional snake boats are raced by expert oarsmen singing ancient boat songs.