Onam Festival Tomorrow, Know Its Significance

Know muhurat rituals and history of Onam! Celebrate Onam festival and know the significance, rituals and story of this great Hindu festival.

According to Hindu Calendar, the festival of Onam will be celebrated tomorrow, i.e. on 25th August, 2018. It is the biggest Hindu festival celebrated in the memory of the great King, Mahabali, in Kerala. The festival is celebrated in the city of Kochi, Trivandrum, Kottayam and Thrissur with great pomp and show. The carnival lasts for four to ten days, and it is generally the time when, people show a perfect blend of ritual, culture and tradition.

Onam/Thiruvonam Puja Muhurat

Onam/Thiruvonam 2018 Muhurat
Muhurat Begins	From 06:48 AM on August 24, 2018
Muhurat Ends	Till 09:49 AM on August 25, 2018

Note: This muhurat is applicable for New Delhi only. To know the muhurat timings for your city, read Onam Muhurat

Celebrations of Onam

Onam is one of the biggest festival in Kerala where people of all ages participate with great fervor and excitement. The festival is celebrated in the month of August - September, as per Malayalam Calendar, which is also named as Kollavarsham. This festival is celebrated in Chingam month of Kollavarsham.

The festival of Onam lasts nearly for 10 days and it is celebrated to pay tribute to the great King, Mahabali, who was known for his valour. On account of his good deeds, God blessed him with a boon of visiting his people every year to see the welfare of his kin. On this day, people exchange Onam wishes and make each other feel happy with Onam blessings.

• During this festival, people put on new clothes on this day, which is known as Onakkodi.
• People also indulge in a handful of activities and dances performed during the festival of Thiruvonam, which is known as Onakkalikal. Myriad of competitions are also organized on this occasion, such as food-eating competitions, Uriyady, Ox races (Maramadimatsaram), Onam Pookalam competitions, etc.
• There are many Hindu Keralite who install an image of Thrikkakara Appan or Onatthappan in their homes.
• During the festival, Hindu temples are decorated with lamps, Diyas and candles. A Palmyra tree is set up in front of temples in Kerala. It is decorated and then, lit with a torch and burned to ashes, signifying the sacrifice of King Mahabali.
• Onam festival is also related to creativity as potters and weavers go for an extra mile to fulfil the increased demands of the products, especially in regions of North Kerala such as Kannur and Kasargod. Handloom fairs are a great attraction of the spirit of Onam festivities during these days.

History of Onam

According to legends, Kerala was ruled by a very powerful King, Mahabali. It is said that when King Mahabali was the ruler of Kerala, there was nobody in the region who was sad or unhappy. Every single man was happy and full of peace and they respected their King to the utmost valour. King Mahabali was not only loved by his people but respected by people of other region as well. King Mahabali was also known by two other names - Maveli and Onathappan.

King Mahabali ruled over all 3 Lokas - Deva Loka (Heaven), Bhu Loka (Earth), and Patal Loka (Nether World). Even after belonging from a demon clan, his generous nature was something that people loved the most about him. He defeated devtas to win the heaven. So, they requested Lord Vishnu to help them get back their kingdom. In order to help them, Lord Vishnu took Vamana Avatar, the form of a dwarf Brahmin.

As we all know that offering donations to Brahmins is considered auspicious. Therefore, when Vamana visited the King, the Brahmin requested 3 steps of land from him. King agreed to this. Then, Vamana grew bigger in size, and covered heaven with his first foot, earth with his second foot, and as there was no area left so, the King offered his head to him. Brahmin pushed him down to the Patal Loka with his third step.

Lord Vishnu was pleased with his act of generosity and asked him for a wish. The King requested the God if he can meet his people once a year. The wish was granted. Hence, every year on this day of Onam or Thiruvonam, King Mahabali visits his people.

Know More About Indian Festivals, Read: Hindu Festivals 2018 and Muhurat

AstroSage team hopes that you like this article on Onam, and wishes you a very happy and blissful Onam!

Onam: The Festival To Welcome King Mahabali

Onam, a festival full of tradition, a festival to thank the God of harvest, a festival to welcome the King back home. This festival, with rich culture as its backbone, is what we have brought to you. So, read on.. 

Onam in 2013 is on the 16th of September. This is a festival celebrated at a grand scale all over Kerala, India. The festival is celebrated in the memory of King Mahabali and also as the harvest festival. The main highlights of this festival is its rich cultural background, the beautiful Poo Kolams (flower Rangolis) and the magnificent boat races, which are organised specially for this occasion. The festival is celebrated for a period of 10 days. This festival is celebrated in the Chingam month of the Malayalam Solar calendar. 

You may like to see: Onam Wallpapers & Posters

Share this joy of Onam with friends and family by sending them your Onam wishes.

Click here to wish your loved ones - Onam Wishes In English & Malayalam

The festival of Onam has a lot to offer like its mesmerising folk dance, Puli Kali, boat racing, Onathallu, Onapottan, Kummattikali, Kazhachakal in Guruvayur, mouth watering festive delicacies (Sadhya) and many more. Now, lets know more about all this in detail. 

Celebrating Onam

The festival of Onam is a grand celebration done for a period of ten days. So, let’s now know the significance of each day.

The first day of the festival is called Atham.

Atham is celebrated to welcome the King Mahabali. People of Kerala had a very wealthy and prosperous time under the rule of King Mahabali. It is believed that every year on this day the king pays a visit to Earth from netherworld (Patala Lok). They welcome the King by dancing, singing and making beautiful Poo Kolams at the entrance of their homes. The size of the Pookalam gradually increases from the first day to the tenth day of celebration, Thiruvonam.

The second day of the festival is called Chitira.

This day is spent in the preparation for Thiruvonam. The houses are painted new and redecorated. 

The third day of the festival is called Chodi.

This is a day most looked forward to by all. Yes! its the time for shopping.

The fourth day of the festival is called VishaKam.

This is a very eventful day as games and competitions take place on this day. Pookalam competition reaches a different level altogether on this day. 

The fifth day of the festival is called Anizham.

This day is very important, as the dress rehearsal for the very popular boat race called Aranmula takes places. This event is called Vallam - Kali

The sixth day of the festival is called Thriketa.

On this day, holidays are declared for schools and colleges. Festivities gear up at homes for the final day, Thiruvonam.

The seventh day of the festival is called Moolam.

Special traditional lunches called Sadhya are arranged at temples on this day. People also get to witness the traditional Puli Kali (leopard dance) on this day.

The eighth day of the festival is called Pooradam.

On this day the idols of King Mahabali and Lord Vamana is taken for processions. The Pookalam are made in large sizes to give a grand welcome to the King and Lord Vamana.

The ninth day of the festival is called Uthradom.

On this day of Onam’s eve, the preparations for Thiruvonam reach another level. It is believed that on this day, King Mahabali visits all his people. Therefore, grand buffet is arranged and celebrated.

The tenth day of the festival is called Thiruvonam.

This day marks the end to the ten day celebrations, as such it is given a grand send off. It is believed that, it was on this day that King Mahabali left to the netherworld (Patala Lok) and was also blessed by Lord Vishnu by the boon to visit his people every year. 

Onam is one festival which you have to witness at least once in person to know the magnitude of its celebrations. Wishing you all - A Very Happy and Prosperous Onam! 

If you wish to know more about this extraordinary festival, click here - Onam In Kerala

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