New Delhi | Jagran Lifestyle Desk: Onam 2021 is Kerala's harvest festival, which is celebrated for ten days starting from 22nd Nakshatra Thiruvonam in the month of Chingam (between August-September), of the Malayalam calendar. This year, it started from August 12, 2021, and will continue till August 23, 2021. However, the maid day of Onam, which is known as Thiruvonam, will be celebrated on August 21, 2021. This festival is also significant as Onam, demon king Mahabali returns to Kerala.
Onam is celebrated with great pomp and fervour. Every year, various activities, such as Vallam Kali (boat races), Pulikali (tiger dances), Pookkalam (flower Rangoli), Kazhchakkula (plantain offerings), Onathappan (worship), Thumbi Thullal (women's dance), Kummattikali (mask dance), Onathallu (martial arts), Onavillu (music), Onam Kali, Tug of War, Onapottan (costumes), Atthachamayam (folk songs and dance), are held on Onam for 10 days. However, this year, the celebration might witness some restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation across the state.
Ahead of Onam 2021, we have brought you 10 amazing Malayalam songs that you can enjoy on this auspicious day:
Atham Pathinu Ponnonam
Maveli Naadu Vanidum Kaalam – Onappaattu
Paraniraye Ponnalakkum
Uthradapoovnilave Vaa
Pookkalam Kanunna Poomaram Pole
Chingathile Chendumallikkodee
Thiruvona Pularithan
Omanathinkalin Onam
Uthradapoovnilave Vaa
Thiruvaavaniraavu
Apart from activities, the festival is also famous for its varieties of foods that include 24 traditional delicacies. The dishes include Kaaya varuthathu (banana chips), chena varuthathu (yam chips), sarkara upperi (jaggery coated banana chips), mango pickle, lime pickle, puli inji (tamarind and ginger chutney), Kichadi (gourd in mildly spiced yogurt), pachadi (a yogurt vegetable curry), Olan (ash gourd with black beans in a coconut milk gravy), theeyal (mixed vegetable gravy), erissery (mashed beans and pumpkin with coconut gravy), avial, pulissery (yogurt based curry), kootu curry (black chickpeas curry), sambar, rasam, spicy buttermilk, bananas, puffed red boiled rice, and idiyappam (string hoppers).
For unversed, King Mahabali was a kind-hearted king who was loved immensely by his people. Seeing this, Gods got worried and requested Lord Vishnu to help in eradicating the demon king. Lord Vishnu took his fifth avatar of the Brahmin dwarf named Vamana and helped the Gods in bringing back the sanity of the city. This festival is celebrated mainly by Malayali speaking natives in the state.
Posted By: Niharika Sanjeeiv
