Onam is one of the greatest festivals of Kerala. It is the festival, which the keralites celebrates unitedly without the difference of caste and religion.. The legend of King Mahabali is the most popular and the most fascinating of all legends behind Onam. Onam celebrates the visit of King Mahabali to the state of Kerala every year.
Once up on a time, during the reign of King Mahabali, the kingdom was very happy. Mahabali was the son of Veerochana and grandson of Prahlada, the devout son of demon King Hiranyakashyap. He was a noble, generous righteous and powerful king who ruled with justice, wisdom and generosity. His bravery and strength of character earned him the title of"Mahabali Chakravathy" or Mahabali - the King of Kings. Although he was an asur, no devta was as noble, in thought or action, as him. During his ruling time it is said that people don't even lock their house in the night because, there was no thieves, no corruption, and no betrayal. All the people were considered equal; all were living with great happiness. No one had any threats, challenges or danger to life. There was no falsehood or fraud. No one cheated others. People never lied. There were no wrong measuring equipments and weights. No one cheats or wrongs the neighbour. There was no poverty, sorrow or disease in the reign of King Mahabali and everybody was happy and content. And all people lived unitedly, without the difference of rich and poor. All were facing a good time because of all these all the people loved him and he glowed like a jewel. Like wise the king was so good that he will give anything to anyone. Since the King Mahabali's rule was so good, his name spread all over the earth and the heaven. Due to this, the king of the heaven Lord Indra got upset. He thought that if Mahabali's name spreads like this, soon he would lose the heaven to Mahabali. So he prayed to Lord Vishnu for help, to protect the heaven from Mahabali (who is a Damon king). It was said Mahabali was very generous and charitable. Whenever anybody approached him for help or requested for anything he always granted. At that time the Hindu lord Mahavishnu decided to test King Mahabali. He came to earth as vamana a poor dwarf, and went straight to King Mahabali. He told the King that he has nothing and he want three feet of land to live. The king hearing this laughed and told Vamana to take three feet of land from where ever he wishes. Just as King Mahabali agreed to grant the land, Vamana began to expand and eventually increased himself to the size of cosmic proportions. With his first step the Brahmin boy covered the whole of earth and with the other step he covered the whole of the skies. He then asked King Mahabali where is the space for him to keep his third foot. The King realized that he was no ordinary Brahmin and his third step will destroy the earth. Mahabali with folded hands bowed before Vamana and asked him to place his last step on his head so that he could keep the promise. The Brahmin placed his foot on the head of the King, which pushed him to patala, the nether world. There the King requested the Brahmin to reveal his true identity. Lord Vishnu then appeared before the King in his person. The Lord told the King that he came to test him and the King won the test. King Mahabali was pleased to see his lord. Lord Vishnu also granted a boon to the King that he can visit kerala once in a year. It is that day ie. the day Mahabali visits kerala is celebrated as Onam. ONAM comes in the month of "Chingam" according to Malayalam calender. It is the day of the visit of King Mahabali to Kerala that is celebrated as Onam every year. The festival is celebrated as a tribute to the sacrifice of King Mahabali. Every year people make elaborate preparations to welcome their King. Onam is a celebration of Ten days, which starts on Atham day. People put flower mats in front of their houses, to welcome the King Mahabali. They wish to please the spirit of their King by depicting that his people are happy and wish him well. The second day, Thiruvonam is the biggest and the most important day of this festival. It is believed that King Mahabali visits his people on the second day. There will be competition for the laying of flower mats; Keralites all over the world will be celebrating these ten days with a lot of spirit and happiness. They will wear new dresses, will be visiting almost all temples which they can, and the most important thing is the grand lunch they will be having on the Thiuruvonam day. 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. The onam celebration is an occasion for people to remind themselves of all the pervasive nature of divine. A message is not something to be said; it's something to be lived. But if you try to encapsulate the message of Onam into one word, then it is "HAPPINESS". Sai Ram
