COVER STORY
Onam-The Harvest Festival of Kerala N.Vijayagopalan
Onam is the official state festival of Kerala with public holidays that generally start four days from Onam Eve (Uthradom). It is celebrated by Malayali population around the world.
K
eralites celebrates many festivals. Among them the one celebrated with utmost festivity is Onam, which is a major traditional festival of the Malayalees in and outside Kerala. It is a harvest festival, observed with numerous festivities. Onam is a festival rich in culture and heritage. Onam falls in the first Ma-
20
September 2019
layalam calendar month of Chingam, which in Gregorian calendar overlaps with August–September. The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu, the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali and mythologies of Hinduism related to Kashyapa and Parashurama. Onam is the official state festival of
