Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India]: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan extended greetings to people on the occasion of Onam and asked the people to spread the melody, charm and sparkle of the festival across the world.
“I convey my heartiest Onam greetings to the people of the state and other Keralites all over the world. Onam, which brightens every home with the joy of festivity, celebrates the cherished legacy of a life of equality, oneness and prosperity and inspires us to strive to create such a society. Together, let us spread the melody, charm and sparkle of Onam across the world as Kerala’s message of love, equality and harmony,” said the Kerala Governor in a video message on Saturday.
Onam is a celebration of unity, harvest and cultural richness, binding communities in a tapestry of traditions.
A major festival of Kerala, it falls in the Malayalam calendar month of Chingam, which in the Gregorian calendar overlaps with August-September.
The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu, the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali and serves as a poignant reminder of the values of benevolence, compassion and sacrifice.
The festival also honours the efforts of the farming community and is an occasion to express gratitude to Mother Nature for her bounty.
The celebrations for Onam are held for ten days and the festival is being celebrated this year from September 6 to 15.
Onam celebrations include Vallam Kali (boat races), Pulikali (tiger dances), Pookkalam (flower Rangoli), Onathappan (worship), Onam Kali, Tug of War, Thumbi Thullal (women’s dance), Kummattikali (mask dance), Onathallu (martial arts), Onavillu (music), Kazhchakkula (plantain offerings), Onapottan (costumes), Atthachamayam (folk songs and dance) besides Sadya feast.