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Chasing Onam Every Year in Kerala, the Homecoming of the Mythical King, Mahabali Becomes a Reason for Its People to Celebrate

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Chasing Onam Every Year in Kerala, the Homecoming of the Mythical King, Mahabali Becomes a Reason for Its People to Celebrate WANDERLUST / Kerala The Aranmula Boat Race is organised as an offering to Lord Krishna, the chief deity at the Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple. He is also credited for the design of the snake boat. Chasing Onam Every year in Kerala, the homecoming of the mythical king, Mahabali becomes a reason for its people to celebrate. There’s folk music and dance, street parades, boat races, and a banquet, and everyone is invited. 09 09 19 19 WORDS Edwina D'souza y first introduction to Onam is a tale from overseas – a gathering at MTrafalgar Square with stage performances, food stalls, foot-thumping folk music, and the coming together of NRI Malayalis and non-Malayalis to celebrate this festival of harvest, far away from their motherland. Years later, I embark on a journey of my own to trace the origins of this festival and chase the celebrations across God’s Own Country. 58 FOLLOW US ON 59 1 It’s 8.00 a.m. when I arrive in golden crown, and an umbrella. He’s people during Onam each year. Kochi. The streets are unusually everywhere, selling everything from I arrive at my homestay in Fort empty. I presume commerce is yet gold to toothpaste. He’s the mythical Kochi, where I am greeted with an to begin. However, well into the King Mahabali and Onam marks his elaborate flower arrangement called 09 afternoon, when the scene remains homecoming to the state. pookalam at the doorstep. My host 19 unaltered, I enquire with my driver. If legends are to be believed, tells me it marks the beginning of He tells me that Onam is off-season Mahabali was an asura (demon) Onam festivities. The term is native in Kerala. Malayali families prefer to king. But he was a compassionate for flower (poo) and artwork (kalam). stay home and celebrate with their ruler, whose reign was considered At the break of dawn, women bathe loved ones. Men dress up in crisp the golden period of Kerala. In the and perform their prayers before white mundus (lungis) and apply heavens, Lord Indra grew concerned creating these floral decorations chandanam (sandalwood) on their about King Mahabali’s popularity. to welcome King Mahabali. foreheads. Women exude grace in Thus, he sent Lord Vishnu in the Several pookalam competitions their cream and gold sarees with form of a young monk – Vamana – are organised amongst housing 3 jasmine flowers tucked in their hair. to banish Mahabali and send him to societies, corporate offices, and even Varieties of ghee-drenched sweets pataal (hell). Mahabali appealed to shopping malls. 1. Throughout the 10-day are prepared and elaborate rituals the gods to let him return to Kerala The next morning, I take a cab to Temple (also known as Thrikkakara culminate with a grand feast called festival, pookalams adorning are performed for 10 days. once a year to ensure that his people visit the temple town of Thrikkakara, Temple). Legend has it that Vamana onasadya – a traditional vegetarian home and temple entrances I notice billboards of a smiling were happy and content. His wish 20 km from Kochi. My focal point of sent King Mahabali to pataal by meal that includes numerous are remade with fresh flowers every day. 2. Nettipattams man with a handlebar moustache, a was granted, and thus he visits his interest here is the Vamanamoorthy placing his foot on Mahabali’s head. courses served on a banana leaf. are classified on the basis The temple is located at the site The temple kitchen is an organised of embellishments added where the incident took place. chaos and volunteers dish out on them; the gear of the 2 elephant carrying the idol A special flag hoisting ceremony meals to thousands of devotees at boasts designs of canes is organised on Atham, the first breakneck speed. The meal includes around the gold-plated day of the festivities at the temple. everything from avial (vegetables copper balls. 3. The themes of Kummattikali mask dance Celebrations will continue for the in coconut gravy) and olan (white are inspired from scriptures next 10 days, but the mainstay is pumpkin and red gram stew), to and stories of the Ramayana, the Pakalpooram procession on the payasam (jaggery-based dessert with Darika Vadham, Lord Shiva, and Manjan Nayare Pattu. day before Thiru Onam, which is thickened milk), Kerala matta rice, Skirts woven out of grass and the tenth and the most important upperi (banana chips), and sarkara colourful wooden masks day of the festival. The deity of Lord varatti (jaggery-coated banana are quintessential facets of this performance. Vamana is carried around the temple chips) and more. complex on an elephant, followed I then move towards Thrissur, the by a parade of some more elephants cultural capital of Kerala. The town is covered in nettipattam (caparisons visibly quieter. The general manager on elephants' foreheads). The air is at my hotel makes it his mission to thick with the scent of fresh flowers, help me chase Onam celebrations in incense, and coconut oil. Thrissur. He shares with me details Each day, the celebration will of celebrations that would hardly 60 61 Save the date This year, Onam will be celebrated on September 11. However, rituals will commence on Atham (September 2). There are four important days of Onam – from September 10 (the day before Thiru Onam) to September 13. 1 1 ever find a mention on the Internet. important symbol of Onam. Villages I begin Day 3 with a visit to a form their own teams and sign up Palliyodams, Aranmula’s unique flair. Gigantic decorated floats look suburban neighbourhood to watch for a boat race that can win them snake boats, make for a majestic surreal. There’s a wedding scene the Kummattikali festival. Malayali cash prizes and the coveted title sight as teams move in pairs, being enacted at one corner, while men are dressed in grass-clad as champions of the district. The skilfully mirroring each other in a Mowgli and Bageera are having a costumes and kummattis (colourful host’s running commentary on 1. There is a distinct spectacular race. good time at the other end. Garuda masks) of characters from Hindu the loudspeaker in Malayalam is “At the order of serving the Pulikali On the fourth and last day of and a 'hulk-styled' Hanuman show 11–13 items on the scriptures. They take to the streets incomprehensible, but I’m sucked Kummattikali The Pulikali Co-ordination Onam, I head to Swaraj Round in up to amuse the crowd. At the end of 09 onasadya leaf. The 09 entertaining the crowds with their into the tense atmosphere, craning festival, Malayali first to go is salt and Committee that organises the heart of Thrissur, where the the parade, the best costume and the 19 antics and collecting alms. The jolly my neck amongst the sea of people it ends with payasam. the annual parade was annual Pulikali, or tiger dance grandest float will be rewarded with 19 2. The Pulikali dance formed in 2004. A day energy in the air is contagious. I join standing by the backwaters to watch men are dressed revolves around the before the Pulikali dance parade takes place. The Maharaja of hefty prizes. one of their processions and move the nail-biting race. in grass-clad theme of hunting. Men parade, the costumes are Cochin introduced this folk dance After four days of soaking in the to the beat of the chenda melam I’m told that the oldest and best enact a play of a hunter exhibited to locals at a some 200 years ago, as he wanted cultural revelry, I reach the end and the beast. (percussion instrument). snake boat races during Onam costumes and community hall at Swaraj the celebrations of Onam to reflect of the Onam trail. I return home Round in Thrissur. Later that evening, I head to a are organised in Aranmula village kummattis a wild fervour. Hundreds of men a happy traveller, fascinated by village on the outskirts of Thrissur on the banks of River Pampa (colourful masks) spend hours painting intricate tiger King Mahabali’s homecoming visit. to watch a snake boat race, another in the Pathanamthitta district. markings on their bodies. Soon, they There’s a reason why they call Kerala of characters will take to the streets, recreating the ‘God’s own Country’. tiger’s prowling movements with 2 from Hindu scriptures. They take to the streets entertaining the crowds with their antics and collecting alms." GETTING THERE 1. The cylindrical percussion instrument, AirAsia India flies chenda melam makes an appearance at to Kochi from all traditional celebrations in the state. Bengaluru and 2. Fierce competitive spirit and copious Mumbai. airasia.com Illustration: Swapnil Redkar Illustration: amounts of awe fill the air on race day. Men and women step into the waters and put up a spectacle. 2 62 FOLLOW US ON 63.
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