🌸 Onam (Thiruvonam) 2027
Kerala's greatest festival — the day of the Shravana (Thiruvonam) nakshatra in the month of Chingam (Simha); the annual visit of King Mahabali; ten days of pookalam (flower carpets), the Onasadya (26 dishes on a banana leaf), the kasavu sari, vallam kali (boat races), pulikali; August-September.
Onam is the national festival of Kerala — the day in Chingam, the first month of the Malayalam year (the solar Simha month, August-September), on which the Shravana (Thiruvonam) nakshatra falls is 'Thiruvonam' — the main day of the festival; ten days earlier, from the Atham (Hasta) nakshatra, the pookalam (the flower carpet in the courtyard) begins and is completed on Thiruvonam. It is believed that on this day the generous asura king Mahabali comes from the netherworld to Kerala once a year to meet his people — hence every home must be decorated, every stomach full, every face happy.
Women of the house make the pookalam, wear the kasavu (cream and gold) sari, and cook the Onasadya — 20-26 vegetarian dishes on a banana leaf (parippu, sambar, avial, olan, thoran, pachadi, payasam…); the men take part in vallam kali (snake-boat races), pulikali (the tiger dance), Onakkali; children get Onakkodi (new clothes). On Thiruvonam morning the clay pyramid idol of Thrikkakara Appan (Vamana) is worshipped. Above is this year's Thiruvonam date (by the sunrise nakshatra of Delhi; the same day in Kerala); below the order of the ten days, the pookalam, the sadya list, the katha and regional customs.
Significance — why this vrat
The tale of Mahabali and Vamana (below): Vishnu as Vamana took the three worlds from Bali in three paces, sent Bali to the netherworld but granted him the boon of visiting his people once a year — that day is Thiruvonam; Onam is the memory of that 'golden age' (Maveli Nadu — when all were equal, no theft, no lies) — the Onam song 'Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam…'.
The ten days: Atham (1 — the first row of petals of the pookalam, the festival begins from the Thrikkakara temple), Chithira, Chodhi, Vishakam, Anizham, Thriketa, Moolam (the sadya begins), Pooradam (the Onathappan idols), Uthradam (the first Onam — 'Uthradappachil', the rush of shopping), Thiruvonam (the main — the second Onam), Avittam (the third), Chathayam (the fourth — the immersion of Onathappan); the festival runs 12 days from Atham to Chathayam.
A harvest festival too — the celebration of plenty after the paddy harvest in Chingam, the end of the monsoon; celebrated by people of all faiths (Kerala's shared festival); the Kerala government's week-long celebration (the procession and 'Onam Week' in Thiruvananthapuram), the Aranmula vallam kali (Uthrattathi), Vaikom Ashtami separately.
Puja vidhi (step by step)
This is the household Onam sequence — the pookalam from Atham to Thiruvonam, the Onathappan puja, the sadya, Onakkodi; for Malayali and other families living outside Kerala too.
- Atham (the first day): bathe in the morning, plaster the courtyard/doorstep with cow dung and lay the first row of the pookalam — only Tulsi and yellow (thumba) flowers; one row/colour is added daily — marigold, chembarathi (hibiscus), chethi, jaswand, lotus petals; the full pookalam of 10 rows on Thiruvonam; a lamp (nilavilakku) in the centre.
- Moolam-Pooradam-Uthradam: cleaning and decorating the house, buying new clothes (Onakkodi) — Uthradam is 'Uthradappachil' (the last-day rush); on Pooradam make the clay Onathappan/Thrikkakara Appan (square pyramids — the symbol of Vamana/Mahabali) and install them in the centre of the pookalam, decorate with rice-flour paste (aniyal), flowers and akshat; give the elder sister/mother the 'Onappudava' (sari).
- Thiruvonam morning: bathe in the Brahma muhurat, the kasavu mundu/sari; complete the pookalam, the naivedya of ada (a steamed dish of rice, coconut and jaggery) for Onathappan, a lamp, 'Onappattu' (Onam songs); welcoming Mahabali — a lamp at the door, the aarppu-vili (festive cry); the elders of the house give everyone Onakkodi (new clothes), touching the feet.
- The Onasadya (noon): on a banana leaf (tip to the left) in order — pappadam, banana (nendran), sharkara varatti, upperi, pickles (inji puli, manga), pachadi-kichadi, thoran, olan, avial, koottukari, erissery, kalan, then rice — parippu with ghee (dal-ghee), sambar, rasam, moru (buttermilk); finally the payasam (pal ada, parippu, palada) — 2-3 kinds; the family together, elders and guests first.
- Afternoon-evening: the Onakkalikal — Thiruvathira kali (the women's circle dance around the lamp), kummatti, pulikali (Thrissur — the fourth Onam), vallam kali (Aranmula-Champakkulam), oonjal (the swing), thalappanthu kali; children's games; the Onam programmes on TV.
- Avittam-Chathayam: on the third and fourth Onam the Onathappan idols are lifted from the pookalam and immersed in water/the field — 'come again next year'; Chathayam is also Sree Narayana Guru Jayanti (Kerala).
- Outside Kerala: a small pookalam (paper/flowers), Onathappan (clay/brass), a sadya of 8-10 dishes or a community one on banana leaves (the Malayali association); 'Onashamsakal' (greetings) to the family in Kerala, pranam to the elders on a video call.
- The rules of Onam: no quarrels, demands for repayment or sadness at home (Mahabali wants to see his people happy), the gift of a sadya to the poor (community sadyas in Kerala), fresh flowers in the pookalam every day.
Puja samagri checklist
The flowers of the pookalam, the clay of Onathappan, the kasavu, banana leaves and the sadya of 26 dishes — the Onam list.
- Pookalam: Tulsi, thumba (white), marigold (yellow-orange), chembarathi (hibiscus — red), chethi (ixora), lotus petals, green leaves, a base of cow dung/rice flour, nilavilakku (brass lamp)
- Onathappan/Thrikkakara Appan: square pyramid idols of clay (or brass) (3-5), rice-flour paste (aniyal), flowers-akshat, ada (naivedya)
- Clothes: kasavu sari/mundu (cream with a golden border), Onakkodi for children, Onappudava (sari-mundu) for elders
- Sadya: banana leaves, rice (matta/regular), toor dal, vegetables (pumpkin, raw banana, beans, carrot, cucumber, ash gourd, yam, drumstick), coconut (plenty), coconut oil, curd-buttermilk, tamarind, jaggery, ginger, curry leaves, mustard, green chilli
- Payasam: rice/ada/parippu (moong), jaggery, coconut milk, ghee, cashew-raisins, cardamom; pappadam, nendran (Kerala banana), sharkara varatti (jaggery banana chips), upperi (chips), inji puli, pickles
- Games and dance: oonjal (swing), a lamp for Thiruvathira kali, thalappanthu; Onappattu (songs)
- Charity: a community sadya/food for the poor, clothes; darshan at the temple (Thrikkakara/Vamanamoorthy)
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Open panchang →Vrat katha (the story)
The asura king Mahabali, grandson of Prahlada, was generous, just and a devotee of Vishnu; in his kingdom all were equal and happy — the gods feared in envy that Bali would take Indra's throne; at Aditi's prayer Vishnu came as Vamana (a young Brahmin) to Bali's Ashwamedha yajna and asked for three paces of land; his guru Shukracharya stopped him, but Bali gave the gift — Vamana in his cosmic form measured earth and heaven in two paces, and for the third Bali offered his head; Vishnu made him king of the netherworld (Sutala) and granted the boon — 'you will come one day a year to meet your people' — that is Thiruvonam; in Kerala the festival begins from Thrikkakara (the temple of Vamana).
Onam is the memory of Kerala's 'golden age' — in the reign of Maveli (Mahabali) 'no theft, no deceit, no lies, no sorrow; all equal' (the Onam song); hence on Onam every home is decorated, every family in new clothes, everyone's stomach full — so that the returning king sees his people happy; celebrated by all without distinction of caste or creed.
The tale of vallam kali: at the Parthasarathy (Krishna) temple of Aranmula a devotee Brahmin's Thiruvonam feast (the Thiruvona sadya) was carried to Krishna by boat — since then the Aranmula vallam kali on Uthrattathi (the palliyodams — snake boats, the vanchipattu songs); pulikali since the time of Maharaja Sakthan Thampuran of Thrissur (200 years) — dancers in tiger paint, on the fourth Onam.
The Onasadya — 26 dishes on a banana leaf, the payasam last
The Onasadya is the soul of Onam — fully vegetarian, based on coconut oil and coconut, served on a banana leaf from left to right in a fixed order; the tip of the leaf to the left; rice in the centre; the payasam last; the family sitting together on the floor; folding the leaf towards oneself at the end = 'satisfied'. Below the order of dishes and simple recipes.
- From the top-left corner of the leaf: pappadam, nendra pazham (banana), sharkara varatti (jaggery banana chips), upperi (salted banana chips), salt; then pickles — inji puli (a chutney of ginger, tamarind and jaggery), manga pickle, naranga
- The upper row (right): kichadi (cucumber/okra with curd), pachadi (pineapple/pumpkin with curd and coconut), thoran (a dry dish of beans/cabbage with coconut), olan (ash gourd-cowpea-coconut milk), avial (mixed vegetables with coconut and curd), koottukari (black chana-yam-coconut), erissery (pumpkin-chana-roasted coconut), kalan (raw banana/yam with curd and coconut)
- Rice (matta — red) in the centre; on it in order — parippu + ney (moong dal + ghee), sambar, rasam, then moru/pulissery (buttermilk curry); pappadam crumbled into the parippu
- Payasam (2-3): pal ada (rice ada-milk-sugar), parippu payasam (moong-jaggery-coconut milk), palada pradhaman, gothambu (wheat), semiya; banana and pappadam with the payasam (the Kerala custom — the mix of sweet and salty); finally moru-rice and banana — for digestion
- The morning breakfast: idiyappam-stew, puttu-kadala, appam; Onam specials: ada (the naivedya of Onathappan), unniyappam, ilayada
- A simple sadya outside Kerala (8-10): rice, parippu-ghee, sambar, avial, thoran, pachadi, inji puli, pappadam, banana, one payasam; the community sadyas of the Malayali associations in Bengaluru-Mumbai-Delhi-the Gulf
Regional customs
The boat race of Aranmula, the pulikali of Thrissur, the Athachamayam of Kochi, the diaspora Onam of the Gulf — Kerala's festival across the world.
A custom, tale, song or dish heard from your grandmother — 2-4 lines; after reading we add it on this page with your region's name (the phone is never shown — only to ask you back).
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✅ Do
- The pookalam daily from Atham (fresh flowers), complete on Thiruvonam; a nilavilakku in the centre
- The Onathappan puja in the morning, the ada naivedya; Onakkodi — new clothes from elders to the young, pranam
- The Onasadya fully vegetarian, on a banana leaf in order, the family together; a sadya for the poor/neighbours
- The Onakkalikal — the swing, Thiruvathira kali, games; the katha (Mahabali-Vamana) for children
- The immersion of Onathappan in water/the field on Avittam/Chathayam
❌ Don't
- No quarrels, demands for repayment or show of grief in the Onam days (Mahabali comes to see his people happy — folk belief)
- No meat, fish, onion or garlic in the sadya (the traditional sadya is purely vegetarian; some communities differ)
- No artificial/plastic flowers or stale flowers in the pookalam; no fake colours
- No intoxicants or unsafe conduct at vallam kali/pulikali; no children alone in the crowd
- Do not think of Onam as only a 'Hindu festival' — in Kerala it is shared by all faiths; deprive no one of the sadya
Frequently asked questions
When is Onam (Thiruvonam) in 2027?
This year's Thiruvonam date is above — the day of the Shravana nakshatra in Chingam (the solar Simha month) (by the sunrise nakshatra); Atham (the start of the pookalam) 9 days earlier, Uthradam a day earlier, Avittam-Chathayam two days later; the Kerala government's calendar (the Malayalam calendar) gives the same day — if the nakshatra spans two days, follow the Kerala panchang's date.
Whose festival is Onam — Hindu or everyone's?
The root tale is of Vamana and Mahabali (Vaishnava), but in Kerala Onam is a secular harvest and state festival — Hindus, Christians and Muslims all celebrate with pookalam, sadya and Onakkodi; a public holiday and 'Onam Week'; hence it is called Kerala's 'national festival'.
How to make the pookalam, which flower on which day?
On Atham a single row of only Tulsi and thumba (white) on a round base of cow dung/clay; from Chithira one colour/row daily — yellow (marigold), orange, red (chembarathi-chethi), purple (kakka poovu), green leaves; 10 rows on Thiruvonam, with the lamp and Onathappan in the centre; by tradition the petals are changed daily; paper/rice rangoli as an alternative outside Kerala.
How many dishes in the Onasadya and in what order?
Traditionally 26 (20-64 in places): pappadam-banana-chips-pickles (left), kichadi-pachadi-thoran-olan-avial-koottukari-erissery-kalan (top), on the rice parippu-ghee → sambar → rasam → moru, finally 2-3 payasams; the tip of the leaf to the left, only on a banana leaf; 8-10 at home is a sadya too — the spirit is of completeness.
What is Onathappan/Thrikkakara Appan?
Square pyramid-shaped clay idols (3-5) placed in the centre of the pookalam from Pooradam to Thiruvonam — the symbol of Vamana/Mahabali/the deity of the Thrikkakara temple; decorated with rice-flour paste, offered ada and flowers; immersed on Chathayam; Thrikkakara (Kochi) is the temple of Vamana — the origin of Onam.
How to celebrate Onam outside Kerala?
A small pookalam (flowers/paper), Onathappan (clay/brass), the morning lamp puja, kasavu/new clothes, a sadya of 8-10 dishes on a banana leaf (or a plate), payasam, the family feast, Onam songs/Thiruvathira, pranam to the elders in Kerala on video; go to the community sadya of your city's Malayali samajam — non-Malayalis are warmly welcome too.
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⚠️ This description follows the traditional customs and folk belief of Kerala; the custom of your family and region comes first. The Thiruvonam date is by the solar month and nakshatra — match with the Malayalam calendar/Kerala panchang.
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