Onam - A Festival of Kerala History and Other Fun Facts
It's believed that every year King Mahabali visits Kerala on Thiru Onam day to see how his people are faring. 2019 Thiru Onam will be celebrated on 11th September.
Onam history vamana avatar mahabali
Boat Race
Boat races is one of the fun factors of Onam. It's a canoe boat race, foot tapping drum beats and synchronised rowing. It is known as Vallam Kali in Kerala. The Aranmula boat race is one of the oldest races in Kerala. It's held in the Pathanamthitta in Kerala. Only men take part in this race and they wear only a turban and white loin cloth. The lead singers will start the song and the oarsmen repeat the song while moving their oars in synch. The snake canoe races is one of the highights of Onam celebrations and many people throng the shores to witness the spectacular boat race.
Kerala boat race by aravind reflections
Pookalam
Onam is a 10 day long festival. The festival starts with womenfolk decorating the entrance of their houses with colourful flower Rangoli designs. The pookalams are usually round and resemble a mandala. Various pookalam competitions are held across the state and the exemplary ones are awarded with cash or gifts.
Athapookalam competition winner
60 Beautiful Pookalam designs for Onam >
Onam Sadhya
The Sadhya(feast) is one of the most important part of the festivitites. Malayalee chefs across the world show off their culinary skills by cooking up numerous traditional dishes for this special occasion. At homes, based on budget preferences, you can see more than 30 plus dishes which will be spread on a banana leaf. Some of the prominent food items which finds it's place during the feast are Upperi(Banana chips), Sharakara Varatti(jaggery coated banana chips), Manga curry(mango pickle), Naranga curry(lime pickle), Ellisheri(curry dish with pumpkins, coconut and red beans), pulissery(vegetable curry in curd), Kaalan(yogaurt, yam, grated coconut curry), Olan(ash gourd curry with red beans, cocounut milk), Pachadi(yoghurt curry with ineapple or bitter-gourd), Chenai Mezhukkupuratti(thin yam slices boiled and fried in coconut oil), Pulvini(Sweet sour tamarind paste), Parruppu cuury(yellow lentils dal), chor( traditional red rice), Sambhar, Pappadam,Avial (mixed vegeatbles boiled and coated with coconut), Kichadi(spicy yoghurt mixed in your favorite choice of cooked vegeatble), rasasam, Kotok Curry(dry curry made with raw banana and black channa), ghee, thoran(any cooked and garnished vegetable), Palada Pradhaman( sweet desert made with coconut milk and rice flakes), Pazham prradhaman(sweet desert made with ripe bananas, coconut milk and jaggery). Onam Sadhya is not completed without it's Pradhamans(kheer), people have become very innovate with these parahumans and you can see weird combos of payasams cropping up during the feasts.
Onam sadhya kerala food by chitrasendhil
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