The greatest festival in my home country of India is Onam, celebrated in Chingam (Malayalam month), between August and September. King Mahabali was a popular ruler who controlled Kerala during a time of peace and abundance. It is believed that Mahabali visits every year during Chingam. It is a 10-day festival, and each day has its unique meaning.

I am very excited to celebrate Onam every year by gathering with family, relatives, and friends; this enriches relationships and bonds among us. This has brought me a lot of joy since my childhood. I have many memories of Onam. The four things I will share in this article are flowers, food, activities, and the arts. 

Pookalam

The central attraction of Onam is Pookalam (floral carpet). People create a round Pookalam in front of their house with different flowers. On the first day, it is a small Pookalam, then people add more to it each day, and on the final day, it would be a big one. Regardless of age, everyone in my town enjoys doing Pookalam. Most people share their flowers they have grown with neighbors.

The picture below was taken in 2020; this is the Pookalam that my friends and I created at my home with various flowers, which took almost 4 hours to complete. It is a great memory in my life. 

Onasadhya

The traditional feast that people make on the last day of Onam is Onasadhya, which is very delicious. Usually, this meal is served on a banana leaf with a lot of vegetarian dishes. Paayasam, served as the last item in the feast, is sweet and has several flavors. On that day, many relatives and friends gathered at my home and had a feast together. 

Activities: 

Pulikali

Pulikali (Tiger dance) is a person who paints themselves as a tiger and performs an energetic dance. 

Vallam Kali

Vallam Kali is known as a boat race in Kerala and the main boat is Chundan Vallam . This boat is so long, it resembles a snake. The boat is made of thick wood. This race is held by teams and many people from various places gather to watch this. Whenever I watched the boat race, I became over-excited and very curious to know who was going to win the race. The unity among the members is the success of the race. One of the main boat races in Kerala is the Nehru Trophy; here’s a video of this race from 2021:

Traditional Art Forms:

Thiruvathira Kali

Thiruvathira Kali (round dance) depicts the cultural richness of my state, Kerala. During Onam, this traditional dance is necessary for every program. It is typically performed by a group of women and moves in circular ways in each step with traditional music. They often wear traditional sarees (set sarees) with golden borders and jewelry and Jasmine on their hair. It is not only a dance but also a cultural form of art that enhances Kerala tradition and culture.

This is the Thiruvathira team in my hometown.

Kathakali 

I have many memories with this Kathakali, which includes dance, drama, and music. When I was in 6th grade, my family and I went to Alappuzha to watch this art form. It is very interesting to watch; a person with an enormous dress with great makeup performs a story in front of the audience.

Onam is the festival of joy and happiness. I would suggest everyone from a different culture experience Onam once in their life. 

Ashly Ann Mathew is a student currently enrolled in Pre-Health Sciences at Canadore College, North Bay, Ontario. She is from Kerala, India. Her main hobbies are listening to music and watching movies and dramas. She is an introvert type but an extrovert among close ones. She not only likes to spend quality time with family and friends, but also values keeping relationships.