Onam is a ten-day festival celebrating the rice harvest, observed between August and September in the Gregorian calendar. In the Malayalam calendar, this time falls in the month of Chingam.

Primarily, this festival is celebrated by the Malayalam-speaking community in Kerala, India.

According to Malayalam mythology, the festival is linked to King Mahabali. It is believed that when King Mahabali returned to his kingdom after conquering the three worlds, he was greeted with great joy. Since then, the festival has been celebrated to welcome King Mahabali.

Despite being a demon king, Mahabali was known for his generosity and kindness towards his people.

Onam is celebrated as a tribute to the king’s sacrifices and the good times during his reign.

In Kerala, the festival is enjoyed with music, food, and boat races in the backwaters.

Families in Kerala decorate their homes with flowers, creating designs called "Pookkalam" in front of their houses to welcome King Mahabali.

A key part of the festival is the Onam Sadhya, a vegetarian meal served on banana leaves that includes 13 to 25 traditional dishes.

Onam is a major festival in the Indian state of Kerala, and the entire state officially observes a holiday during this time.

We hope this brief overview helps you learn about a new aspect of Indian culture!