Whose Onam will you celebrate?
Illustration by ChatGPT There is something radically subversive about the Onam story. For those who may not be aware, Onam is the state festival of Kerala. It celebrates an erstwhile legendary utopia, the time when Kerala was ruled over by Mahabali (Maveli as Malayalis call him fondly). The country was prosperous, the citizens were honest, and everything was just wonderful. The land was a heaven on earth. And the gods were displeased with that out of sheer jealousy. They send Vamana, a god, to drive Maveli away into the netherworld, which he did using deception. But Maveli’s wish to visit his land once a year was granted. Onam celebrates the annual return of the great king to his beloved country albeit for a short while. The right-wing now wants to do away with Maveli from Onam and redefine it as Vamana Jayanti. After all, Vamana is the god while Maveli was an asura or demon. Of course, both Vamana and Maveli existed only in stories. And stories have certain functions to fulfil. ...
