Onam

What

Onam spans ten days, marked by elaborate pookalam flower carpets laid at doorsteps, a grand feast called Onasadya served on banana leaves, and in many areas, vibrant snake boat races on Kerala's backwaters.

Why

The festival welcomes the annual return of King Mahabali, a ruler so beloved that Vishnu, in his dwarf avatar Vamana, is said to have granted him an annual visit to the land he once ruled justly — Onam is, at its heart, a festival of remembering a golden age of fairness and welcoming its spirit back each year.

Preparation

• Design a pookalam flower pattern at your doorstep
• Plan or attend an Onasadya feast served on a banana leaf
• Wear a traditional kasavu (gold-bordered white) garment if you have one
• Watch or follow a vallam kali (boat race) if held locally