Kerala tourism Guide

Onam festival comes in the month of Chingam as per the Malayalam calendar which goes on for 10 days all over the State with festival rituals, traditional cuisines, dance and music. The most important days of this festival is the first day Atham where Pookalam is decorated in front of the house and the last day Thiruvonam where traditional cuisine Onasadya is made in all the houses and event locations. The unique thing about Onam festival is its secular fabric because people from all religions, castes and communities celebrate this festival with equal joy and enthusiasm which develops an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood due to various team sports organized during the festival. The starting of Onam festival is flagged off from Thripunithura with Attachamayam or royal parade consisting of more than fifty floats and hundreds of persons suitably costumed and posed. The deity Vamana incarnation of Lord Vishnu also called as Onatthappan is also remembered during this festival and people place a clay figure Vamana next to the floral carpet or Pookalam. Traditional dance forms like Thiruvathira performed women, Kummattikali a colorful-mask dance and Pulikali performed by men with their body painted like tigers who dance to the beats of percussion instruments.