ONAM FESTIVAL Celebrated In : September Rejoiced In Memory of : Shri Mahabali, legendary king of Kerala Celebrated As : Rangoli, Elephant Parade Other Attractiond : Snake Boat Race

Onam - Rejoicing The Return of Mahabali

Onam Festival - Rangoli - Kerala

Festivals of Kerala Arts And Crafts

Snake Boat Races Music And Dance

Backwater Cruises

Imagine one morning you open your eyes to the euphony of violins and cymbals. You walk over to the window - like a puppet of the moment - only to see a colourful procession coming towards you. It seems as if the entire city is on the streets. Women in colourful traditional costumes, with cascading gold necklaces, and carrying coconut-frond kiosks, are selling mouthwatering fried banana fritters. Look at those little girls, wearing tiny gold 'parrot's cage' earrings as they cling to their fathers, nagging for a cheap wooden toy or so. You fly through the stairs and think if you hadn't been staying so high! As you come down, you see a colourful checkerboard of 'rangoli' (with colored rice paste) and 'pookkalam' (with flowers), displaying some elaborate and intricate designs, in the courtyard. And instantly you remember that it is 'Chingam' (September), the colourful month of Malayali calender, when the whole state reverberates with the fragrance of enigmatic 'Pookalams' (the multi-colour floral decoration in elaborate patterns), taste of 'Onasadya' (festive meal) and the heart-throbbing frolic of Snake Boat Race. The 10-day festivity also celebrates the golden age of king Mahabali, a mythical ruler of Kerala, who is believed to return once a year from eternal exile to earthly splendours,

Namukku Onam Akhoshikkam - Let's Celebrate Onam

The ten-day celebrations of Onam presents an exquisite medieval grandeur. As you walk over the cobbled streets of Thiruvananthapuram, look at those beautiful houses, displaying a rich taste of parquetry, adorned with flowers and traditional lamps by the road side. The sprawling courtyards with 'Onapookkalam', a carpet made out of clustered blossoms, with a slight tint of green leaves, pinched up into little pieces to serve the decorator's interests. It is a delicate work of art and cannot be made without an artistic sense of tone and blending. Even a dozen of tusker elephants, caparisoned in their gold-leaf ornaments, share some space in the procession. Look at those petrifying performers, wearing fierce makeup and glittering headdresses, as they jaunt through the crowd. Some of them hold a flaming torch and fistful of a powder is thrown occassionally into the flames - presenting an aura around, that eventually crackles into tongues of fire. One can also see heavily painted colourful wooden mask depicting faces of Kummattikali dancers, who move from house to house collecting small gifts and entertaining people.

Enjoy the evenings from the terrace, usually illuminated by a fabulous display of fireworks, that turn the whole city into a genuine fairyland. The best thing about Onam is that, it is not only a break from the regular humdrums, but a moment which Malayalis celebrate with their hearts out. Even the poorest of the poor manages to find something for himself to celebrate the national festival in his own humble way.

Go Banana

During Onam, it is the aroma of the bananas that dominates the indoors and the outdoors of the state. As though to echo the month of Chingam, when a golden fulness replaces the damp hunger of the monsoon month of Karkidakam, the yellow fruit is everywhere. Huge bunches doll up the shop fronts - crescents of sunshine, plump and sweet. It is not bizarre to see men - sporting pencil-thin moustaches and crests of oiled hair - swinging banana stalk laden with fists of bananas on the roads. Do not forget to taste the mind-blowing combination of steamed bananas and 'puttu', or boiled bananas with a tinge of jaggery.

Kathakali dancers celebrating Onam Festival

Vallam Kali - Unforgettable Holiday Fun On A Boat

The life of Kerala revolves around its waterways and hence a wonderful boat culture has developed on the layers of time. Don't forget to listen to the myths and legends related to the lives of the boatsmen and stories of their haunting adventures amid the sea. Visit Kerala during Onam and be a part of 'Vallamkali' or the renowned snake-boat race. After a colourful procession of taking local deities on a boat ride, the whole village participates in the merriment of boat racing. In enchanting unison, they row the long, decorated 'chundan vallam' (snake boats), their oars pushing past the blue waters with agility and grace, the sound of the cheerleaders at the prow impelling them to be faster, swifter, just past the next boat ahead. When the mesmerizing notes of the 'vanchipattu' (boat song) reach a crescendo, the ambiance reevrberates with the electrifying effects of the melody. You can look with the local folks who come from far and near to watch the snake boats skim through the shimmering backwaters. Plan a visit to Kerala during the second saturday of August, to witness the gala event of Nehru Trophy Boat Race which takes place at Alleppey.

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