Onam 2022: Celebration of Kerala’s Culture and Heritage – clickastro.com

Onam is an annual Hindu festival celebrated in the state of Kerala. It is the national festival of Kerala, which reflects the culture and heritage of the state in a unique way. It is, in fact, the most respected festival of the state. Onam brings out the best of festive spirit among Keralites, regardless of social status and religion, and is celebrated with great grandeur.

When is Onam celebrated?

The festival of Onam lasts for more than ten days. It is celebrated in the month of Chingam (Simha), which is the first month in the traditional Malayalam solar calendar.

The festival extends from Atham (Hasta) Nakshatram to Chhathyam (Shatabhisha) Nakshatram in the month of Chingam. The celebrations will take place in full grandeur on Uttaradam (Uttara Ashadha), Thiruvonam (Listening), Avittam (Disht), and Chhathyam (Shatabhisha), which are generally considered to be Onam (First) Onam, Randam (Second) Onam, Munnam (Third) goes. ) Onam and Nalam (fourth) Onam respectively. Thiruvonam is the most important day of the festival. The name of the festival ‘Onam’ itself is a variant of the word Thiruvonam. According to the Gregorian calendar, Onam usually falls in late August or early September.

When is Thiruvonam 2022?

Thiruvonam 2022, the most important occasion of the festival of Onam, falls on a Thursday, 8 September. So the date of the festival of Onam in 2022 is 8th September. The day of the start of the festival, Atham, falls on a Tuesday, August 30.

The date of the festival of Onam in 2022 is 8th September

Onam 2022 – Important Dates and Timings

Sunrise: 8 September 2022, 6:18 am

Sunset: 8 September 2022, 6:26 pm

Thiruvonam Nakshatram Begins: September 7, 2022, 4:00 PM

Thiruvonam Nakshatram ends: September 8, 2022, at 1:46 pm

Star	Date	weekdays
atham (hand)	August 30	Tuesday
Chithira (pictured)/Chhoti (Swati)	August 31	Wednesday
Chodi (Swati)	1 september	Thursday
Visakhama (Visakha)	2 september	Friday
Anizam (Anuradha)	September 3	Saturday
Triketta (eldest)	September 4	sunday
Moolam (original)	September 5	monday
Pooram (Poorva Ashadh)	September 6	Tuesday
Uttaradam (Uttarashada)	7 september	Wednesday
Thiruvonam (listening)	September 8	Thursday
Avittam (rich)	9 september	Friday
Chhathyam (Centennial)	September 10	Saturday

Onam 2022: Cultural Significance

Onam, the biggest festival in the state of Kerala, fills people’s hearts with glee and brings them together to be a part of the vibrant, cultural festivities. All Keralites, their families, neighborhoods and even public and private organizations try to make the ceremony as grand as possible. Every year, Govt. Kerala declared a holiday for 4 days to celebrate Onam. The four days are the first (Uthradam), the second (Thiruvonam), the third (Avittam), and the fourth (Chathyayam) Onam day. Thiruvonam, the second Onam, is the main day celebrated with the most pomp and grandeur. This is the most important festival which fills the nook and corner of the country with gaiety. Celebrations include large social events showcasing various cultural and sporting entertainments, from families buying new clothes and feasting together.

Mahabali

For Keralites, Onam festival is a commemoration of the great King Mahabali. It is believed that during the reign of Mahabali, the land was dominated by prosperity and righteousness, and Onam is a reminder of that beautiful period. The common belief is that every year, on the day of Thiruvonam, Mahabali is visited by people from his land and Patalloka (Netherlands). Some people associate this festival with the birth of Vamana, the fifth avatar of Vishnu.

Kerala’s Harvest Festival

Onam is also the rice harvest festival of Kerala. It falls at that time of the year when the monsoon breaks. The weather will be perfect, neither too dry nor too wet, and the flowers will be in full bloom. The various customs and festivities observed on the occasion of Onam are symbols of agricultural prosperity and overall social prosperity. Onam is the most important festival of Hindus in Kerala, but the occasion is also enjoyed by other communities. The grand celebrations of this festival remove all religious inequalities in the society. It is common for other communities here to include Hindus in their traditional Onam festival and other fun. It unites people of all communities and spreads the message of peace and harmony.

onam festival

All the celebrations associated with Onam are a showcase of the rich heritage and culture of Kerala. Various post-harvest games, Onapattukal (Onam song), Kaikottikkali, and all other cultural and entertainment programs reflect the beauty and glory of a great tradition. This time of the year is also considered as tourism week in Kerala and is the best time to visit the state. This period of the year sees maximum business in all the shops and commercial establishments of the state.

legend of onam

The history of Onam dates back to the Sangam period when it was celebrated for a month. According to mythology, Kerala was ruled by the demon king Mahabali (Grandson of Prahlad), who was a powerful ruler, and controlled all the three worlds – Bhuloka, Deva Loka and Patalloka (the earth, heaven and the world of the Netherlands). Even though he belonged to the Asura lineage, he was known to be generous and kind to his people, and was well-liked for this. Kerala saw its best times during his reign; Prosperity and grandeur reigned everywhere. However, the gods were unhappy with him because he had defeated them, and his power and popularity continued to grow. Hence, he approached Lord Vishnu for help.

Vamana and Mahabali

Sensing their concern, Lord Vishnu disguised himself as Vamana, a poor Brahmin and went to the king. Vamana asked Mahabali to give him the land which he could cover with three feet. Being a kind and benevolent person, Mahabali granted his wish, and soon Vamana started growing in size. As he covered the earth and heaven with his first two feet, King Bali asked him to place his last step on his head, which leads him to Paatal (the world below). However, for King Bali’s good deeds, Lord Vishnu granted him a boon to visit his people every year, which led to the celebration of Onam. Hence, Onam celebrates the homecoming of King Mahabali.

Onam Festival Rituals

Following are some of the traditions/practices commonly followed as part of Onam festival.

Pookalam:

Also known as Athapukkalam, these are artistic floral designs that are usually placed on the ground in front of the house. Generally, on the day of Atham, the women of the family wear traditional style clothes, collect flowers and arrange patterns. Nowadays, it is a common practice to organize Athapukkalam events in which both men and women participate in large numbers.

Onakkodi:

On the occasion of Onam, people gift new clothes to their loved ones.

Onam Sadya / Onam Sadya:

The traditional feast of Kerala is served on banana leaves. For this, food is prepared with more than 13 traditional dishes including chips, pickles and papads. Payasam, a typical sweet dish made of rice, milk, sugar and coconut, is a must for Onasadya.

Vallamkali:

It is a traditional Kerala boat race event, usually held on the occasion of Onam. Long wooden boats called chundanavallams (snake boats) are rowed by hundreds of sailors, compete with each other, and the winners receive huge amounts of cash as prizes.

Pulikkali:

It includes ‘yellow and black bodies, resembling tigers’ dancing and entertaining the audience. In recent times, it has become a huge event and a major tourist attraction.

Cacotically:

A dance form in which women, dressed in traditional styles, form a circular pattern around a neelavilaku (oil lamp) and harmonize with a song. Nowadays, schools, colleges and offices organize Kaikotikkali as a part of their Onam celebrations.

Onam 2022, 10 Day Celebrations

Day 1 (Atham):

Onam festival begins from this day. People usually start this day by visiting temples. Also, they go around collecting or buying flowers and arranging Pookalam.

Day 2 (Chithira):

The second day of Onam festival will begin with some prayer and worship. After that new flowers will be added to Pookalam.

Day 3 (short):

From this day, people usually start shopping to buy all the items needed for the upcoming celebrations.

Day 4 (Vishakam):

On this day, various communities will start organizing events like Pookalam competitions. Women can start making pickles and chips for the last day.

Day Fifth (Anizham):

The day is known for the famous boat race, also known as Vallamkali.

Day 6 (Trichetta):

By this time cultural events would become a common sight across Kerala. People will attend and participate in programs with their near and dear ones.

Seventh Day (Moolam):

By this time a huge crowd will be seen everywhere. Markets and streets will be filled with vendors selling food, clothing, etc.

Eighth Day (Pooradam):

On this day people start making pyramid-shaped idols out of clay. These idols will be decorated with flowers and will be arranged near Pookalam.

Ninth day (Uthradam):

On the last day of Onam, people prepare to welcome King Mahabali. There is a huge rush to procure the final ingredients for Onam. This crowd is commonly known as the Uttarada-pachil (Uthradam crowd).

Day ten (Thiruvonam):

Thiruvonam is the most important day of Onam. It is believed that King Mahabali visits his kingdom on this day. The highlight of the day is enjoying the sumptuous vegetarian feast during the afternoon called Onasadya.