what onam festival

Onam is an annual Indian harvest festival celebrated predominantly by the people of Kerala. It is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. The festival is celebrated for ten days, beginning with the atham asterism in the month of Chingam (August / September) as per the local calendar. The main purpose of the festival is to celebrate the homecoming of King Mahabali, the mythical ruler of ancient Kerala. The festival also marks the beginning of the harvest season and is celebrated as an outcome of a good harvest gathered all over Kerala, resulting in plenitude and happiness. During Onam, families make floral decorations called pookkalam that are placed on the ground in front of their houses to welcome King Mahabali. The festival is marked by happiness, excitement, and enjoyment among all sections of people. The main food eaten during the celebration is the Onam Sadhya, a vegetarian meal comprising many traditional dishes served on a banana leaf. The festival probably has ancient origins and became intricately linked with Hindu legends at some later date.