Background:-

legend has that onam is celebrated after the memory of king mahabali, who ruled kerala long time ago and took good care of this people.

Hence onam symbolize the joyful rule of the king and the happiness that the people had under his rule people also believe that during onam, the king returns to kerala to visit his people. Celebrations for the festival start by cleaning their houses and decorating than.

Delicious sweet meals and favorite vegetarian dishes are cooked and served on banana leaves. Pookalan a flower mat is visible outside each house symbolizing a welcome to king mahabali traditional rituals are performed and the people3 celebrate the occasion with a grand feast one favorite desert that would be served on the day is payasam a sweet and tempting porridge.

did you know:-

1) in tritium, a vibrant procession decorated elephants is taken out

2) Pulikali or kardwakal is common sight during onam where performers painted like tiger in bright yellow, red and black.

3) at aranrmulla, thousand of people gather on the blanks of the river postal to witness the exciting snake boat races

4) each snake boat belongs to a village along the banks of the river pamla and is worshipped like a deity and is decorated with a golden lace at the head of the boat the flag and the ornamental umbrella at the centre

5) only men are allomed to board or even touch a boat and that just barefoot

6) young men and women, checked in their best, sing onappacetu, or onam songs, and rock one another on swings slung from high branches.