Onam - Birthday of Vamana - Avatharam

Suggest you have a pooka lam in your courtyard, to welcome Mahabali into your own new home. Also, you will make use of the flowers in your own estate.

Onam is actually a harvest festival. After Vishu, depending on rains,the farming schedule is on, and all available capital and labour is invested. This is why Mithunam and Karkidakam are called as 'panjandrum Maasai, when the farmer-family lives on a starvation diet. In Chingom, the harvest is done and there is plenty . They had the Nira-put hair, followed by Onam, when they made merry, wore new clothes and feasted and danced with joy. Similar is the case of Pongal, when the Makara-koithu is done and a similar festival is seen in Tamilnadu.

The association with Mahabaliis a concoction, which a clever Kerala King must have thought of and introduced into our ritualistic life. Anyway, it is good socially. Kerala that was God's own country once upon a time has now become liquour-only country. The Newspapers reported yesterday how there were long ques in front of liquour shops to get ready for the celebration.

Happy Onam again to all of you.

K.V.narayanmurti & lalitha Murti