Onam 2020: Onam: Celebrations, History, Relevance: Everything you need to know

Onam is a celebration of prosperity and abundance for the Malayalees. Stepping into the golden lunar month brings with it the hopes of a new year of abundance and prosperity, and the anticipation of the Athappookkalam and Onam celebrations begins.

Onam 2020 Date: When is this year’s Onam?

This year’s Onam is on August 30, 31 and September 1 and 2. Uthradam or First Onam on August 30, Thiruvonam or Second Onam on August 31, Avittam or Third Onam on September 1, Chatayam or Fourth Onam on September 2.

Onam: Behind the name

Shravanam is the time when people resume trade after the winter and the rainy season. Savanam is another name for Shravanam. It is believed that the name was dropped and later changed to Onam.

Onam Significance, Mahabali Legend

Onam legends

Mahabali

Legend has it that King Mahabali, a devout king who trampled Vamana down to the underworld, came to see his people. Although there are many legends about Onam, Onam in Kerala is also a festival of harvest and their trade.

Parasurama

There is another legend associated with the story of Parasurama about Onam. Parasurama, who liberated the Kerala temple from Varuna and gave alms to the Brahmins, quarrels with them. Following the request of the pardoned Brahmins, he is promised to perform at Thrikkakara once a year. There is also the concept of Onam on this day‌.

Lord Buddha

Buddhists believe that Prince Siddhartha entered the Shravanapadam after enlightenment on the day of Thiruvonam in the month of Shravanam. They claim that Onam was a celebration reminiscent of the then Shravanapada reception in Kerala, which was dominated by Buddhism. Onam is a strong proof of this.

Cheraman Perumal

Logan, the lord of the Malabar Manual, has associated the Onam celebration with Cheramanperumal. According to Logan, Perumal converted to Islam and went to Mecca on the day of Thiruvonam in the month of Chingam.

Samudragupta-Mantharaja

AD Thrikkakara was the capital of Kerala in the 4th century. Some believe that this may be a historical fact as there is evidence in the Allahabad inscriptions that Onam was celebrated by the then ruling Manna king of the place. The Manthata recorded in it was the famous King of Kerala. According to the inscriptions, Samudragupta invaded Thrikkakkara in the invasion of South India, but Samudragupta, impressed by the defense and prowess of the Mantharaja, begged for peace and then issued a proclamation to the king to celebrate Onam as a political festival to commemorate the victory of the war at the glorious end of Kerala.

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Athachamayam, Athapookalam: Onam Celebrations

Onam Celebrations: Ten days from Atham

Onam celebrations, which start from Atham Nakshatra in the month of Chingam, are celebrated on Thiruvonam day and last till Chatayam day. Thrikkakara is considered to be the headquarters of Onathappan. Legend has it that the Athappookkalam was prepared to wake up Thrikkakarayappan.

Athappookkalam is prepared in the backyard during the ten days from the last day of the month of Chingam to Thiruvonam. Athappookkalam is prepared from the last day of the month of Chingam. On the days of Atham, Chithira and Chothi, only the stalks adorn the dung-soaked ground. In later days different types of flowers are used. On the first day, only one row of flowers is allowed. Do not flower red. The size of the cell increases each day, with two flowers on the second day and three flowers on the third day. The chrysanthemum flower has a place in the flower bed only from the spring. But in some places the flower bed is prepared with ten colored flowers on the tenth day starting from one color flower. The flower bed is prepared in maximum size on the day of Uttara. Due to this, the flower bed should be arranged in a rectangular shape.

Ceremonies on the day of Thiruvonam

Welcoming Emperor Mahabali at the Thrikkakara Temple is very important during the Thiruvonam ceremonies. Legend has it that ‘Thrikkalkara’ originated in the sense of the land where Vamana’s feet landed. Thrikkakara is the only temple dedicated to the dwarf deity in the capital of ancient Kerala.

The ceremony of buying new clothes (crore clothes) for children and adults on the occasion of Onam is seen all over Kerala. Ona Mundu is the name given to a small piece of cloth bought for children to wear. It is usually solitary on the handloom with the cassava.

Thrikkakarayappan

In the southern parts of Thrissur district, it is customary to prepare Thrikkakarayappan on Thiruvonadivasam. This event starts on the day of Uthradam in Palakkad areas. Thrikkakarayappan is prepared in the backyard or in the yard to welcome Mahabali. The kolam is drawn with arima and clay figures (Thrikkakkarayappan) are placed on top of it. It is also known as Onam.

Onam view

Onakkazha submission was a compulsory payment to be made by the tenant tenant as per the agreement with the landlord. From time immemorial, bananas have been the main attraction. It was the best bunch in the bunch. The landlords had given Onakkodi, satchels and sadya to the tenants on display. It is still going on today as a reminder of the good old days of the tenant-landlord relationship. But today, the offerings are made to the temples. The Guruvayoor Temple is famous for its visual offerings.

In the Uttarapachchi

Uthradapachil is the journey of the Malayalees to buy the necessary items for the next day’s Onam celebrations (the day before Thiruvonam) to prepare for the final round of Onam celebrations. Uthra Day is the day when Malayalees buy everything they need for Onam.