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Onam is celebrated during the Malayalam month of Chingam (August-September) when the star Thiruvonam (Shravana nakshatra) rises. Thiruvonam day is the main celebration. The ten-day festival (Atham to Thiruvonam) begins with Atham nakshatra. Puja is performed in the morning.
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Create an elaborate Pookalam (flower rangoli) at the entrance of the home using fresh flowers of multiple colours – thumba, mukkutti, chembarathi, and other local flowers. The pattern grows larger each day of the ten-day celebration. On Thiruvonam, it should be the grandest.
Place the Thrikkakara Appan (clay pyramid idol representing Vamana/Mahabali) in the centre of the Pookalam. Light the Nilavilakku (brass lamp) with coconut oil. Offer flowers, rice, and coconut. This is the heart of the Onam puja.
ॐ नमो भगवते वामनाय। त्रिविक्रमाय विष्णवे नमो नमः॥
oṃ namo bhagavate vāmanāya | trivikramāya viṣṇave namo namaḥ ||
Om, salutations to Lord Vamana. Repeated salutations to Trivikrama (who covered the three worlds), Lord Vishnu.
Prepare and serve the Onasadya – the grand vegetarian feast of 26+ dishes on banana leaves. Traditional items include avial, olan, kalan, pachadi, payasam (pradhaman), sambar, rasam, pickles, chips, and rice. Everyone sits on the floor. The feast is served in a specific order from left to right on the leaf.
Participate in traditional Onam games: Vallam Kali (boat race), Pulikali (tiger dance), Onathappan (clap game), Thumbi Thullal (women's dance), and Kaikotti Kali (group dance). These communal activities embody the spirit of equality that Mahabali's reign represented.
Light the Nilavilakku in the evening. Offer fresh flowers at the Pookalam. Pray for Mahabali's blessings – that his spirit of justice, generosity, and equality may prevail. On the day after Thiruvonam, bid farewell to Mahabali until next year.