Onam is the major festival of
kerala. This is an Harvest
festival. Onam is celebrated in the
month of Chingam (Sravan Mas in the Saka Era) which generally falls between 17th
of Aug and 16th of Sep.
There
are lot of stories about the celebration of Onam. Most common story is about the Rakshasa Raja
Mahabali, who was very kind and generous and the Gods could not stand his
popularity and requested Lord Maha Vishnu, who took the Vaman Avtar and visited
the Raja and asked of three feet of land for his Tapas and Mahabali granted the
same. Vamana wanted to measure the three
feet with his own steps then started growing and measured the Bhoomi and swarga
in one foot and with the second foot measured
the “pathal”. Then Vamana asked Mahabali
that where he should put his third step.
Mahabali understood the game played by Gods and knelt before Vamana and
asked to put the third step on his head
and Vamana by doing so pushed him down to Pathal. At that time Vamana gave a relief to
Mahabali that every year he can visit his subjects on the “Thiruonam” day of
Chingam which is known and celebrated as Thiruonam or Onam henceforth. Since then his subjects in kerala prepare
floral carpets from Atham day to Thiruonam day for 10 days and prepare very
good feast and wear new dress and celebrate.Happy Onam to all, this is my mini Onam sadhya:--Papadam, Sarkara Upperi, Varuthupperi, Puliyinji, Vendakka Kichadi, Koottukari, Kalan, Cabbage Thoran, parippu, rice, ghee, sambar, curd and Palada Prathaman
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