KERALA FESTIVALS

Kerala is a melting pot where several ethnic and religious groups mingle. A good illustration of the religious tolerance or secularism is found in the heart of Kerala's capital, 'Thiruvananthapuram', where a Hindu temple, a mosque and a cathedral stand side by side.

The ancient rulers of Kerala never practiced religious discrimination. Patronage was distributed not only to the Hindus, but also to the Christians, the Jews and the Muslims.

Each of the unique festivals brightens up the otherwise customary affairs of life. It is a reason to celebrate life and resembles eternal harmony. Filled with laughter, enthusiasm and excitement, festivals bring people of various religions and backgrounds together and take pleasure in the endowments of nature.

With ever so many fests all through the year to cherish, to get together and to rejoice, Keralites must be truly blessed. Every season wakes up to another delightful festival, which makes life more vivacious and cheerful.

A close look at the Kerala calendar will reveal that this is a land where the festivals never end.

ONAM, the harvest festival, is celebrated annually throughout Kerala during August-September. In short, Onam means flowers, 'onakkodi' (New clothes), sumptuous feats on plantain leaves with 'avial'', 'pappadum' 'pazham' (Plantation fruit), 'payasams' onappoo-ada and swinging under the mango tree, days spent collecting those elusive flowers for pookalam (floral arrangement) and evenings dancing with neighbourhood children wearing tiger masks, called pulikkali.

Onam as the most colourful and the principal festival of the most colourful and the principal festival of the region which cuts across all religious and communal barriers.

This year, ONAM falls on the 5th of September, 2006

Onam heralds the harvest festival and is also according to folklore the time of the year when the king Mahabali, the legendary ruler of an ancient golden era in Kerala, returns from the depths of the nether world to visit his beloved subjects.

It is an unusual festival, in the sense that it reverses the memory of the local 'asura' (demon) king, Mahabali (who is also affectionately called Maveli or Onathappan), whom Lord Vishnu coming down to earth as Vamanan, a Brahmin boy, cleverly exploited the very benevolence of this great king to oust him from his kingdom.

So attached was the king to his country and subjects, that he asked for and was granted permission to visit his subjects once every year. Onam is considered to be that day on which King Mahabali comes top visit the beloved subjects of his kingdom.

Houses are cleaned, everyone wears the new Onam clothes (Onakkodi) they have received and floral decorations are put to give a fitting welcome to the beloved ruler during whose rule the kingdom was said to have been at its glorious.

Legend has it that the gods became jealous of the king because he was so well adored and loved by his subjects that Indran, the king of the devas felt that his position was under threat due to the immense popularity enjoyed by Mahabali among his subjects.

So he requested Lord Vishnu's help whereby the lord devised a scheme to get rid of Mahabali and sent him into exile in the nether world