Onam

Onam is Kerala's biggest festival. It is a harvest
celebration, a homecoming, ten days of flower
arrangements, boat races, feasts, and the
peculiar joy of a people who are very good
at celebrating.

The myth at its centre is extraordinary:
Onam commemorates the return of King
Mahabali - a demon king.

Mahabali was an Asura king who, through
tremendous austerity and good governance,
had become so powerful and so beloved that
he ruled all three worlds. His kingdom was
described as a golden age.

The gods appealed to Vishnu. He took the
form of Vamana - a dwarf Brahmin - and
approached Mahabali during a great yajna.
Vamana asked for three paces of land.
Mahabali agreed. Vamana immediately grew
to cosmic size, covering the whole earth
in one step and all the heavens in another.
For the third step he placed his foot on
Mahabali's head, pushing him down to the
underworld.

But Mahabali asked one boon in return:
once a year, he wanted to return to Kerala
and see his people. Vishnu agreed.
Onam is that return.

Kerala celebrates Mahabali - the defeated
demon - more than it celebrates Vishnu.
It says: he was a good king. Good things end.
The people who lived in his golden age are
still here. Every year we make it gold again
for ten days, to show him that we remember.