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'''Onam (ഓണം)''', a harvest festival, is celebrated in [[Kerala]], a state in [[India]]. It generally falls in the months of August-September. Onam is a celebration to mark the annual return of the spirit of the mythical King [[Mahabali]] to his kingdom, and a commemoration of his benevolent rule and his sacrifice. The festivities are intended to assure the King that his people are happy and to wish him well. |
'''Onam (ഓണം)''', a harvest festival, is celebrated in [[Kerala]], a state in [[India]]. Onam is one of the greatest festivals of Kerala. It is the festival, which the keralites celebrates unitedly without the differecnce of caste and religion. |
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It generally falls in the months of August-September. Onam is a celebration to mark the annual return of the spirit of the mythical King [[Mahabali]] to his kingdom, and a commemoration of his benevolent rule and his sacrifice. The festivities are intended to assure the King that his people are happy and to wish him well. |
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==Onam legend== |
==Onam legend== |
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Onam is related with King Mahabali who was ruling kerala in a time. He was an Asura king but was very nice and trueful. During his ruling time it is said that people don't even lock their house in the night because , there was no thieves,no corruption,no betrayal. And all people lived unitedly, without the difference of rich and poor. All where facing a good time. Like wise the king was so good that he will give anything to anyone. At that time the Hindu lord Mahavishnu decided to test King Mahabali. He came to earth as vamana a poor dwarf, and went straight to King Mahabali. He told the King that he has nothing and he want three feet of land to live. The king hearing this laughed and told Vamana to take three feet of land from where ever he wishes. Suddenly Vamana began to grow and he covered the whole earth by one foot and covered the sky with other foot. And asked Mahabali where is the space for the third foot. By seeing all these, the king understood that Vamana is not an ordinary person, and Vamana has come to test him so the king without hesitating showed his head to keep the third foot. Vamana kept his third foot on the King's head and the King was pushed down under the earth (pathala). The king after going to Pathala asked Vamana his true identity, Suddenly Vamana vanished and Lord Mahavishnu stood before Mahabali. Mahabali was overjoyed by seeing this. The lord told Mahabali that he wanted to test Mahabali and he has won in that. The lord also asked Mahabali to ask any boon for himself. Mahabali told the lord that, he loved his people very much so he wanted permission to visit Kerala once in a year. And the lord gave permission for that. It is that day ie. the day Mahabali visits kerala is celebrated as Onam. |
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Mahabali, according to the legend was a just and a wise ruler dearly loved by all his subjects. He however incurred the wrath of the gods when he tried to extend his kingdom to [[paathaalam]] (the nether world), and to the heavens. The ruler of heaven and king of the [[deva]]s, Lord [[Indra]], was apprehensive of Mahabali's popularity and might, and approached Lord [[Vishnu]], the preserver in the [[Hindu]] trinity, for help and advice. |
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Onam is a celebration of Ten days. It comes in the month of "Chingam" according to Malayalam calender. People put flower mats in front of their houses, to welcome the King. There will be competition for the laying of flower mats; Keralites all over the world will be celebrating this ten days will pomp and gaiety. They will wear new dresses, will be visiting almost all temples which they can, they will be performing lot of dances like Thiruvathira kali Thumbi Tullal etc. to name a few and the most important thing is the grant lunch they will be having on the Thiuruvonam day. Which is also called the Fourth Onam. Whatever may happen they will not miss the Grant lunch. There is a saying in Malayalam that "Kanam Vittu Onam Unnanam" which means "We should have the Thiruonam lunch even if we have to sell all our properties". They give that much importance to the lunch on the Thiruonam day. |
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Vishnu then took on the shape of a ([[Vamana]]) Brahmin, (the Vamana is considered one of the [[avatars]] of Lord Vishnu), and went to see Mahabali. He approached the King in this form and asked him for alms. Mahabali was a very generous man. He told the Vamana to ask for anything. The Vamana asked for three paces of land and the king agreed to the request. |
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Immediately the Vamana began to grow in size until he became as big as the universe. With the first step, he covered the entire earth, with the next [[paathaalam]], and there was no land left for his third step. Mahabali, who was a man of principles, in order to stay true to his word, asked the Vamana to step upon his head. The Vamana placed his foot on Mahabali's head and pushed him into ''paathaalam''. However, before doing so, he granted Mahabali a boon. Mahabali requested to be allowed to return and country once a year to visit his people. As the legend goes, he comes to visit his people during the festival of Onam. In memory of the happy days of Mahabali’s rule, his annual home-coming is celebrated in Kerala with pomp and splendour. |
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The glory of those ancient times is recaptured in a popular folk song, which is sung all over Kerala: |
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When Mahabali ruled the land |
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Everyone was equal |
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Happily they lived |
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Danger befell none |
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There was no falsehood, or fraud |
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And no untruth |
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==Onam activities== |
==Onam activities== |
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Revision as of 13:35, 13 September 2005
Onam (ഓണം), a harvest festival, is celebrated in Kerala, a state in India. Onam is one of the greatest festivals of Kerala. It is the festival, which the keralites celebrates unitedly without the differecnce of caste and religion. It generally falls in the months of August-September. Onam is a celebration to mark the annual return of the spirit of the mythical King Mahabali to his kingdom, and a commemoration of his benevolent rule and his sacrifice. The festivities are intended to assure the King that his people are happy and to wish him well.
Onam legend
Onam is related with King Mahabali who was ruling kerala in a time. He was an Asura king but was very nice and trueful. During his ruling time it is said that people don't even lock their house in the night because , there was no thieves,no corruption,no betrayal. And all people lived unitedly, without the difference of rich and poor. All where facing a good time. Like wise the king was so good that he will give anything to anyone. At that time the Hindu lord Mahavishnu decided to test King Mahabali. He came to earth as vamana a poor dwarf, and went straight to King Mahabali. He told the King that he has nothing and he want three feet of land to live. The king hearing this laughed and told Vamana to take three feet of land from where ever he wishes. Suddenly Vamana began to grow and he covered the whole earth by one foot and covered the sky with other foot. And asked Mahabali where is the space for the third foot. By seeing all these, the king understood that Vamana is not an ordinary person, and Vamana has come to test him so the king without hesitating showed his head to keep the third foot. Vamana kept his third foot on the King's head and the King was pushed down under the earth (pathala). The king after going to Pathala asked Vamana his true identity, Suddenly Vamana vanished and Lord Mahavishnu stood before Mahabali. Mahabali was overjoyed by seeing this. The lord told Mahabali that he wanted to test Mahabali and he has won in that. The lord also asked Mahabali to ask any boon for himself. Mahabali told the lord that, he loved his people very much so he wanted permission to visit Kerala once in a year. And the lord gave permission for that. It is that day ie. the day Mahabali visits kerala is celebrated as Onam.
Onam is a celebration of Ten days. It comes in the month of "Chingam" according to Malayalam calender. People put flower mats in front of their houses, to welcome the King. There will be competition for the laying of flower mats; Keralites all over the world will be celebrating this ten days will pomp and gaiety. They will wear new dresses, will be visiting almost all temples which they can, they will be performing lot of dances like Thiruvathira kali Thumbi Tullal etc. to name a few and the most important thing is the grant lunch they will be having on the Thiuruvonam day. Which is also called the Fourth Onam. Whatever may happen they will not miss the Grant lunch. There is a saying in Malayalam that "Kanam Vittu Onam Unnanam" which means "We should have the Thiruonam lunch even if we have to sell all our properties". They give that much importance to the lunch on the Thiruonam day.
Onam activities
The most important things about Onam are the onakkodi, the new dress worn on this day and ona sadhya, a feast which is quite elaborate. During Onam, people create a multi-colored floral decoration on the ground in the front of their home called a pookkalam. Young children are often entrusted with the task of gathering and laying out the flowers in elaborate patterns.
The Vallamkali (the snake boat race) is another event that is synonymous with Onam. Well-known races include the Aranmula Boat Race and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. About 100 oarsmen row huge and graceful snake boats and men and women come from far and near to watch the snake boats skim through the water.
This festival is also important because of its secular character. Whatever might be the origin of Onam, today it is celebrated with equal fervour by the Hindus, Muslims and Christians, and hence it cannot be regarded as a Hindu festival in its strict sense.
