India celebrates Onam festival |
Onam, the most popular festival of Kerala, is being celebrated across the nation by Keralites especially in the state of Kerala with great fervour and enthusiasm. Celebrated in August-September, the annual harvest festival falls on 22nd Nakshatra Thiruvonam in the Malayalam calendar, Chingam. The state seeps into festive mood during this 10-day festival that started on September 1 and will be on till September 13. According to the legends, Onam is celebrated to commemorate King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit the home of people in Kerala at the time of this auspicious occasion. On wednesday, the sacred onam which is also called Thiru-Onam is being celebrated. Each day of Onam is given a different name and specific celebrations are done on each of these days. The famous boat race takes place at the time of Onam. The festival sees all the colours, history, culture and its beliefs of Kerala together. Some of the major attractions of the festival include flower carpets called Pookkalam, banquet lunches, Pulikali or the tiger dances and the Kaikottikali dance.
|
|
|
|