What is Onam?
Onam is Kerala's biggest festival, a harvest celebration in the Malayalam month of Chingam. It welcomes the legendary King Mahabali, whose reign was a golden age of equality and plenty, and who is believed to visit his people every year on Thiruvonam.
Ten days of Onam
The festival runs for ten days, from Atham to Thiruvonam. Each day, families add a new ring of flowers to the pookalam, a beautiful flower carpet in front of the house. Everyone wears new clothes, often the cream-and-gold kasavu.
Onasadya and boat races
The highlight is the Onasadya, a grand vegetarian feast of more than twenty dishes served on a banana leaf. Onam is also famous for Vallam Kali snake boat races, Pulikali tiger dances, Kaikottikali dances and swings hung from trees.