Festivals ceased to charm me once I grew out of
childhood. Crowds are the souls of festivals and I detest crowds. A crowd
doesn’t have a mind. It is a leviathan full of passion and energy. All brawn
and no brain. All too often I am driven to the conclusion that festivals are so
popular precisely because they don’t require anyone to think anything worthwhile
and people don’t like to think.
There is one festival, however, that
I have always looked forward to with good cheer. Onam. Onam is a fairly long
festival. The celebrations run over weeks. Flowers and music are the souls of
this festival. No pollutions. Kerala and its people celebrated Onam just a
month back with all its traditional art, music and cultural richness.
Pookkalam (floral rangoli) is the
first thing that will come to the mind of anyone who has seen Onam
celebrations. It is an intricate floral design assumed to be a colourful and
gentle carpet meant to welcome Mahabali, the hero of Onam. More about him
later.
Boat races are one of the iconic elements
of Onam. The snake boats used for this are no ordinary boats. They are long
(snake-like) and manned by a huge number of rowers. The rhythm of the musical
beats that drive the rowers stays with you much after the race is over.
Traditional art form and
games are
the next exhilarations of Onam. Kathakali which is a classical dance-drama, Pulikali
which is a folk art where performers paint their bodies to look like tigers,
and Kummattikali, a mask dance, are all fabulous entertainments. Then
there are many games too like tug-of-war, archery, and pot-breaking (uriyadi).
Onam has its own dress code too. New
clothes are a must. And it’s the traditional wear of the state.
What has always held my
fancy, above
all, is the legend behind the festival. According to the legend, Onam is
celebrated to welcome the ancient King of Kerala. Mahabali, or Maveli as he is called
affectionately by Malayalis, was an ideal ruler during whose reign all citizens
were happy. There was peace, justice, equality, and prosperity. Maveli’s
country was a utopia. Then the gods became jealous of this Asura (demon) king.
Now, if Maveli was a demon then his
subjects must have been demons too, right? This is where I begin to wonder whether
the legend has a North Indian root too. Remember how Amit Shah once greeted the
people of Kerala on the occasion of Onam? He called the festival Vamana
Jayanti. Vamana, an avatar of Vishnu, is the god who sent Kerala’s beloved
Maveli to the netherworld merely because he was better than the gods.
Amit Shah’s greeting met with troll
after troll from Malayalis, so much so Mr Shah never dared to greet Malayalis
again on the occasion of ‘Vamana Jayanti’. The demon-king, not any divine
incarnation, is the hero of Onam. The people of Kerala won’t let any right-wing
Hindutva ideologue to subvert the festival of the betrayal of a just ruler by a
divine incarnation. Onam is a festival that critiques the hegemony of a
Brahminical hierarchy and the politics that upholds it. Onam is a festival with
a mind, in other words. And a culture too.
PS.
This post is a part of ‘Feeling Festive Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under
#EveryConversationMatters
I'm with you on crowds. Too many people. But a good festival... It has to be something you enjoy a lot to brave the crowds, though.
ReplyDeleteBecause of my ochlophobia, I stay at a distance even from Onam celebrations.
DeleteIt is indeed an exciting event.
ReplyDeleteOnam is an awesome festival. Especially I like that boat races and the songs associated with it, though I understand very little. Definitely every legend must have some underlying truth. Well written sir.
ReplyDeleteCome over for Onam next time.
DeleteDefinitely I will try
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteOn arrival at the ashram in 2011, I was chucked into the Indian festival fetish with three in a row, Krishna Janmastami, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Onam. A whirlwind! All surely brought cheer and a lift of spirit, but I admit I think fondly of Onam, for it was gentler, somehow more graceful... YAM xx
Onam is quite a contrast to the noisy and gaudy festivals in north India. Diwali and Holi were nightmares for me, especially with my sensitive lungs.
DeleteWhat a beautifully written piece!
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on the essence of festivals, particularly Onam, strikes a chord. The contrast you’ve drawn between the chaotic nature of most festivals and the cultural richness of Onam is spot on. I love how you highlight the beauty of pookkalam, the vibrancy of the snake boat races, and the deep-rooted traditions of art and music. Your take on Mahabali and the festival’s connection to equality and justice gives Onam a deeper, thought-provoking dimension. This blog not only celebrates the joy of Onam but also challenges conventional narratives with grace.
Well done!
I'm obliged and humbled as well.
DeleteA few festivals lost their essence with time. Like you mentioned about crowd, here in Pune, it is something similar during Ganpati festival.
ReplyDeleteI have already observed Onam celebrations on social media. But your post is an insightful one.
Crowds are inevitable parts of festivals, I guess.
DeleteI could visualise Onam only because of your blog
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that.
DeleteFor long the boat race has been on my wish list. Now you have added the floral rangoli. I really hope I get to see this in person. As for the govt, they need to be educated to know what they say and act upon.
ReplyDeleteI do believe each festival has its own charm and even if I don't celebrate a particular festival, I always enjoy seeing other people celebrate it in the way they want to.
ReplyDeleteAs an expat living in Dubai, I added Onam to the long list of festivals that I celebrate during the year. I think one of the difference's with Onam and Diwali/Holi is that Onam is more of a communal festival.
Onam is a festival that is celebrated by people from all religions, which makes it quite the secular festival. You and I have both written about Onam, and touched upon the same aspects, obviously. I particularly like the way you have ended your post. "Onam is a festival with a mind, in other words. And a culture too."
ReplyDeleteThe Sadya? Delicious....except the rice, of course. One has to acquire the taste for the matta rice....everything else is absolutely mouth watering. I so wish to watch the boat race once in this lifetime...not sure how it will materialise. Have never been to Kerala yet. And yes, Onam is a festival that's beyond religion and caste-- it's a people's festival, one that unites all. That's what I like best about it.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, sadya is unforgettable. I don't like rice much. I'm a fan of chappattis. But the Onam sadya is definitely a welcome change.
DeleteI have seen the boat races on TV but I want to see it in person ! I have been to Kerala in the past but not during the celebration times. Thanks for writing this blog post and hitting the point home that if you do good for your subjects , you are sure to be worshipped! Being divine is not the point, being good to your people is the baseline. I now see Onam with a renewed perspective and it is because of this blog post, Sir !
ReplyDeleteI don't like crowds either. I celebrate with close friends and family only. Especially if they are preparing the Onam Sadya that I love hogging on. Hahaha!
ReplyDeleteThat’s a lovely depiction of the festival and it’s backstory. I would love to celebrate this festival with the apt rituals
ReplyDeleteThe Tiger Dance and the boat races are something besides so many other things that one can only see in God's own country but we have a sizable community of Malayalis in my society so Onam Sadya , Mahabali's entrance and Pookalam are at least an annual affair we enjoy.
ReplyDeleteWith all this high praise for Onam, I must experience it for sure. I also like the message at the end. The north festivals have become a sham and seem to compete for a loud, ridiculous award. It has become too politicised. Glad that Onam is able to maintain its beauty.
ReplyDeleteOnam is definitely an amazing festival where the vibes are infectious. My most favourite part is trying out different sadyas.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes Onam unique is that it is not limited to just one community. I do hope to join in on the festivities in person some day.
ReplyDeleteI have been to Kerala quite a few times but have not had a chance to see the Onam celebrations. I hope I can do that soon.
ReplyDeleteI've got the chance to be a part of Onam celebration in office with my colleagues from Kerala and loved the decoration and delicacies. I feel that it was just a glimpse of what I could've witnessed had I been in Kerala.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading this article. It made me feel as if I'm watching everything in front of my eyes. I hope to visit Kerala someday and get a chance to be a part of Onam celebrations.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen Onam festival but I agree with your opinion on crowds. Though the celebration is so lovely but to brave the crowds us tough especially when you are with kids
ReplyDeleteI'm reading your post right after Deepti's on the same festival. While hers threw light on more or less the same things as yours, I liked you've added the part of it being politicized and then facing critique. I guess some festivals, or rather all, should not be sensationalized for the sake of favours or to win some votes.
ReplyDeleteBoat races!! Must be so much fun. Kerala is always fun for me though but so many aspects of Onam I got to know especially what happened recently.
ReplyDelete"Great article! You always have a way of making complex topics easy to understand.
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Thank you for sharing this useful and informative post! I appreciate the clear explanations and valuable insights.
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