Onam - Harvest festival

Onam, otherwise called as Harvest festival is celebrated with great pomp in the southern state of India, called Kerala.

As the festive continues for a week, the government has declared holidays for Schools, colleges and few government organizations. And one day is declared as national holiday for all the institutions includ9ng private.

The story behind the celebration of Onam goes like this. Our state was once ruled by a generous King called Mahabali. It was a time when people lived in peace and harmony tranquility. They did not how to cheat others or how to lie. The people were quite happy loving each other.

According to Hindu mythology, it is told that this happiness and truthfulness among the people disturbed the Gods who were watching all this. So they decided to get rid of the King.

King Mahabali was a grear devotee of Lord Voshnu. So the Gods took the help of Lord Vishnu. It was a planned conspiracy. Lord Vishnu took the form of a little Brahmin and visited the land of the generous King Mahabali.

To know the generosity of the King he asked for three feet of land, which the king readily agreed to. No sooner was he granted the wish he turned into a huge person. As promised he stepped his first feet covering the whole earth and the next feet he covered the whole sky but now for the third feet he never had anything. So he turned to King where will I get my third feet of land. The King stooped infront of him and he laid his third feet on his head pushing him beneath the earth.

But before that the Lord due to the King's generosity promised him, on this particular day he can pay a visit to this land to meet his people.

So to welcome the King this particular day is celebrated. It is called day of Thiruonam as per our regional calendar.

Now about the celebration, all the relatives gather on this particular day. Peoples from far off places come to their home and reunite with their family just for this festival. It is a must they go for new dresses. For the past 10 days in most homes and organizations they put pookalam - designs with originak flowers. Even competitions are held with respect to this.

Then next they prepare Sadya which is real feast in our place. It is completely made of vegetables. Different types of curries and sauted vegetables with coconuts are prepared. Followed by payasam a sweet porridge made of milk.

Some occasions are real memories taking us back to our childhood. Playing in swing, eating sadya with family members etc.