Onam, Kerala’s grand festival, celebrates the return of King Mahabali with vibrant traditions, feasts, and cultural pride. The question remains: When will Onam arrive this year?
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Onam, the grand festival of Kerala, is a celebration that lights up homes, hearts, and streets with joy, vibrant traditions, and cultural pride. It marks the much-anticipated return of King Mahabali, a legendary ruler whose legacy of kindness and justice is celebrated with elaborate feasts, colorful pookalams, and folk performances. Every year, Keralites eagerly await this occasion, but the question always lingers: When is Onam arriving in 2024?
In 2024, Onam festivities will begin on September 6 and run until September 17, with the grand day of Thiruvonam falling on Sunday, September 15. The date is carefully chosen based on the Malayalam calendar, when the Thiruvonam nakshatra appears in the month of Chingam. Known as Simha in some solar calendars and Avani in the Tamil calendar, this period of late August to September brings the cherished festival to life.
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At the heart of Onam’s celebrations is the story of King Mahabali and Lord Vishnu’s fifth avatar, Vamana. After Mahabali’s victory over Indra, the king of the devas, he became so powerful that the devas sought Vishnu’s intervention. Vishnu, disguised as a dwarf priest, asked the generous Mahabali for three steps of land.
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When granted, Vamana expanded in size, covering the universe with two strides and sending Mahabali to the netherworld with the third.
However, out of love for his people, Mahabali was granted the wish to visit his kingdom once every year—a visit that Keralites honor with great joy during Onam.
This annual homecoming is not just a mythological tale; it’s a celebration of unity, prosperity, and the deep-rooted cultural heritage of Kerala.
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