Onam Festival History
Onam is the state festival of Kerala. Celebrated in the first month ‘chingam’ according to the Malayalee Calender, it is also the annual harvest festival of the state. The festival falls in the month of August to September according to the Gregorian calendar. The celebrations of Onam go ten days long up to Tiruvonam and in some cases to twelve days long until chatayam (twelfth day). The celebrations of Onam include elaborate rituals, music, dances, sports, boat races and of course scrumptious foods. There are several legends and stories attached with the festival. Read on to explore more about the festival of Onam i.e. its history, its origin and its significance.
Onam has been a part of Malayalee culture for centuries. The earliest record of the festival that has been found belongs to the reign of Kulasekhara Perumals around i.e. around 800 AD. However, there are great possibilities that the festival was celebrated before this period also. Any ways, due to lack of physical evidences, it has been assumed that the festival started somewhere around 800 A.D. as the harvest festival of the state. However, there are so many legends and stories attached with the day that it seems that the festival has been a part of the region ever since its origin.
Onam Celebrations has two most important
significances in context of the Malayalee culture. First of all, it is
celebrated as the harvest festival of the state. It reminds one of the
golden age of prosperity when the entire month of Chingam (the month of
Malayalee calendar that corresponds to the August- September time of
Gregorian calendar) was celebrated as the Onam month. It was the time
when the farms of the state produced excess of food grains and brought
prosperity and riches to the state. Arriving after the rain-drenched
month of Karkidakam (July-August), Chingam was welcomed with much
enthusiasm by the people of Kerala.
The
second and the most popularly quoted legend with the festival is
related to the demon king, Mahabali. It is said that Mahabali was a
generous and kind hearted king of Kerala. He was powered by a boon
granted to him by Lord Brahma, he was invincible and thus gradually won
over the entire earth. Soon after he won the earth, he also won the
territory of heaven and became its king. He gradually rose up to become
the undisputed ruler of all the three worlds. It was the time he
inflicted violence upon the gods. Lord Vishnu then decided to overthrow
Bali from his powers. He went to Bali in the form of a Brahman as he
knew that the king rejoiced in doing good deeds and giving alms to the
poor. He asked for three feet of land from the Demon king to which the
king readily agreed.
Gradually,
he Brahaman increased in size. In one step, he measured the entire
earth and in the other he covered the entire heaven, he then asked Bali
that where should he put the third step. Bali, a man of his words, then
laid down his head and asked Brahman to step his foot on his head.
Vishnu disguised in the form of Brahman, thus appeared in front of Bali
and offered him the Kingdom of the nether world. However as Bali was
very much in love with the people of his kingdom at earth, he asked
Vishnu to give him a boon so that he can visit the earth once a year to
which Vishu readily agreed. Bali, since then is believed to come to
earth in the month of ‘chingam’ according to the Malayalee calendar and
the entire festival is celebrated to welcome their dear king Mahabali to
earth.
Onam Festival Full Name
O-ORumayude
N-Nanmayude
A-AGhoshangalude
M-Malayaliyude
Onam Festival Rangoli
Rangoli
or Kolam is one of the most popular arts in India. It is actually a
kind of decorative motif made by using finely ground white powder,
colors and flowers. A Rangoli can be either a wall art as well as floor
art. The patterns in a traditional Rangoli are usually derived from
nature. The most popular Rangoli motifs are peacocks, swans, mango,
flowers, creepers, etc. Traditionally the dyes for the Rangoli are
derived from natural like barks of trees, leaves, indigo, rice flour,
vermilion and turmeric powder etc. However, these days the use of
synthetic dyes has become extremely popular. It is considered auspicious
to make a Rangoli or Kolam on the festive occasions. In Kerala,
Pookalam, the flower Rangoli is thus made on the occasion of Onam.
Onam Festival Rangoli Images
