Plucking flowers in the early morning to make colourful pookalam or flower rangoli, the aroma of wholesome onam feast, the sizzling sound of frying banana chips, the thrill of boat races, the vibrant Pulikali where people dress up as tigers taking over the roads –well, Onam is festival like no other for all Keralites across the world.
Origin and Significance
Onam is a traditional harvest festival celebrated in the Malayalam month called Chigham, which corresponds to the August-September months.
It's a 10-day festival, and in 2024, Onam dates fall from the 6th to the 15th of September. Celebrated by Malayalis irrespective of religion and region, onam is a fusion of art, food, sports and harmony among everyone.
The origin is traced to numerous old legends and folklore, but the most popular one is the story of a benevolent demon king, Mahabali, and Vamana, the 5th avatar or reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that King Mahabali, despite being a demon king, ruled with righteousness, and his just rule ushered in a peaceful age without crimes, lies and any disharmony.
The god Indra became jealous of King Mahabali and he sought Lord Vishnu’s help. Lord Vishnu reincarnated as Vamana, went to see King Mahabali and asked for 3 feet or 3 steps of land. The Mahabali agreed, and in the first two strides, Vamana took over heaven and earth. The kind King Mahabali, to keep his word, offered his head to place the third step.
Seeing the benevolence and righteousness of King Mahabali, Vamana granted him a boon so that he could visit his beloved people once a year. Onam celebrates the arrival of King Mahabali from the netherworld.
Rituals and Events
1. The Onam Pookalam or Flower Rangoli
The making of flower rangoli, locally called onam pookalam, is integral to the Onam celebration. The people make colourful pookalam in front of their homes and public places.
Numerous Pookalam-making contests are conducted in schools and colleges for students and by big and small groups, firms and clubs for the general public. The beautiful pookalams are aesthetically pleasing to see. Many of them are elaborate with complex designs and tinged with colourful flowers like marigolds, roses, chrysanthemums, and the list goes on.
2. Onam Sadya / Feast: A Celebration of Flavours
The Onam sadya or feast is a wholesome meal reflecting the rich culinary and nutritional heritage of India.
Served in the banana leaves, some major dishes that make up the sumptuous onam sadya include-
- Rice: Steamed rice forms the main staple.
- Sambar:A popular lentil and vegetable curry especially in Southern parts of India.
- Parippu: Cooked lentils served with ghee.
- Avial: Mixed vegetable curry made of veggies, grated coconut and curd.
- Thoran: Stir-fried vegetables with grated coconut. Generally made from cabbage, beet etc.
- Olan: A mild curry of ash gourd and black-eyed peas in coconut milk.
- Kaalan: Thick curd-based curry made with vegetables like yam or raw banana.
- Pachadi: Sweet and spicy curry is usually made with fruits like pineapple, beet and curd.
- Kichadi: Spicy curd dishes are often made with vegetables like cucumber or bitter gourd.
- Pulissery: Tangy yoghurt curry, sometimes made with ripe mango.
- Erissery: Pumpkin and red bean curry cooked with coconut.
- Inji Curry or Puli Inji: Spicy and tangy ginger and tamarind chutney or dip.
- Pickles: The various pickles served as a part of the onam feast include lemon, mango, salted mango, etc.
- Pappadam: They are crispy fried lentil wafers.
- Upperi: Fried, salted banana chips.
- Sharkara Varatti: Sweet banana chips coated with jaggery.
- A Ripe Banana: The Ripe banana is a must-have for onam sadya and is usually served at the end.
- Payasam: Traditional desserts are usually made with jaggery, rice, semolina, etc.
- Buttermilk: Curd-based drink for digestion.
3. Pulikali
The Puli Kali is a major event associated with Onam. On the fourth day after Thiru Onam day, thousands of people dress up or paint themselves as tigers and lead a grand procession in the Thrissur district of Kerala. The procession will be accompanied by traditional percussion instruments.
4. Snake Boat Race
The boat Race, locally called the Vallamkali, is another iconic event related to the Onam festival.
The long boats called the snake boats, race through the rivers and backwaters of Kerala. Travellers from all over the world gather around to witness this spectacular event. The most famous boat races include the Aranmula Uthrattadhi Boat Race and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
As we discussed before, the Onam festival is a happy blend of art, sports and food. Delicious food is unavoidable for any festivities. Here are three traditional desserts you can make at home to whip up the Onam vibes-
3 No Refined Sugar Desserts for Onam 2024
1. Ripe Banana Payasam/ Nendran Pazham Payasam or Pradhavan
Nendran banana is a type of ripe banana from Kerala, you can make this dessert with regular ripe bananas as well. The ingredients include cooked and mashed ripe bananas, melted jaggery, ground cardamom and coconut milk. Finally garnished with dry fruits and coconut bites /chops roasted in ghee.
2. Traditional Laddus
Laddus always has a place in the festive palates of Indians. How about giving a healthy twist to your regular store-bought laddu? Well, the best part is all you need to do is pick recipes from grandma's cookbook.
Traditionally, the laddus made during the Onam festival include ones with rice, rava, coconut, sesame seeds and other kitchen ingredients. To make it more healthier you can add dry fruit laddus and millet laddus to your onam snacks list.
1. Ela Adda
Fond of dumplings? Ela ada are truly desi dumplings with a sweet filling made up of grated coconut and jaggery filling. Steamed in banana leaves, it exudes a unique aroma and flavour. The dough can be made from rice flour or wheat flour, but rice is usually used as it is a preferred staple in the South.
Celebrating Onam at Home
It's always great to celebrate festivals at family homes, but it may not always be possible due to your job. For this onam, whether you are visiting Kerala or simply looking for ways to celebrate at home, here are some tips to plan it well.
- Make floral rangoli / Onam pookalam to bring festive vibes, you can even purchase instant pookalam these days. Engage kids in the process and make it a fun activity for them.
- If you are in Kerala, don't miss the famous Athachamayam procession that marks the start of Onam.
- Plan Your sadya Menu or Book the onam sadya in advance to avoid the hustle. Being a popular festival at home and abroad, Onam Sadya is now available in most of the parts where the Indian diaspora lives.
- Buy new clothes; in fact, the new clothes bought for Onam are called onakkodi, go for Kerala kasavu saree and mundu.
- If you are making sadya at home, look for recipes in advance and gather ingredients early. Make Chips, pickles and ginger curry or inji puli in advance.
- Invite your friends and colleagues, and share sadya and festive snacks. If you are in Kerala, enjoy Pulikali and boat races; otherwise, watch it live from home.
