|
Onam is a celebration of
Ten days. People put flower mats in front of their
houses, to welcome the King. There will be
competition for the laying of flower mats; Keralites
all over the world will be celebrating these ten
days will pomp and gaiety. They will wear new
dresses, will be visiting almost all temples which
they can, they will be performing lot of dances like
Thiruvathira kali Thumbi Tullal etc. to name a few
and the most important thing is the grant lunch they
will be having on the Thiuruvonam day. Which is also
called the Fourth Onam. Whatever may happen they
will not miss the Grant lunch. There is a saying in
Malayalam that "Kanam Vittu Onam Unnanam" which
means, "We should have the Thiruonam lunch even if
we have to sell all our properties". They give that
much importance to the lunch on the Thiruonam day.
Legend
A
long time ago, an Asura (demon) king called Mahabali
ruled Kerala. He was a wise, benevolent and
judicious ruler and beloved of his subjects. Soon
his fame as an able king began to spread far and
wide, but when he extended his rule to the heavens
and the netherworld, the gods felt challenged and
began to fear his growing powers. Presuming that he
might become over-powerful, Aditi, the mother of
Devas pleaded with Lord Vishnu to curtail Mahabali's
powers.
Vishnu transformed himself into a dwarf called
Vamana and approached Mahabali while he was
performing a yajna and asked for alms. Pleased with
the dwarf Brahmin’s wisdom, Mahabali granted him a
wish. The Emperor's preceptor, Sukracharya warned
him against making the gift, for he realized that
the seeker was no ordinary person. But the Emperor's
kingly ego was boosted to think that God had asked
him for a favour. So he firmly declared that there
is no greater sin than going back on one's promise.
He kept his word.
The
Vamana asked for a simple gift — three paces of land
— and the king agreed to it. Vishnu in the guise of
Vamana then increased his stature and with the first
step covered the sky, blotting out the stars, and
with the second, straddled the netherworld.
Realising that Vamana's third step will destroy the
earth; Mahabali offered his head as the last step.
Vishnu's fatal third step pushed him to the
netherworld, but before banishing him to the
underworld Vishnu granted him a boon. Since he was
attached to his kingdom and his people, he was
allowed to return once a year from exile. Onam is
the celebration that marks the homecoming of King
Mahabali. It is the day when a grateful Kerala pays
a glorious tribute to the memory of this benign king
who gave his all for his subjects. |
