After a low-key celebration of the much-anticipated festival of Onam for two years straight due to the pandemic, Kerala Tourism is all set to bring back the vibrant festivities of Onam to the streets of the Southern State. Onam is an annual Malayali harvest festival and is also the official state festival of Kerala. It is synonymous with boat races, cultural programs, sports competitions, dance events, martial arts, floral Rangoli – pookkalam, and the all-time favourite Onam sadhya (a scrumptious plate full of traditional South Indian delicacies) in the minds of all Keralites. 

Here are a few of the top locations in Kerala to celebrate Onam.

Trivandrum

One of the towns in Kerala where a grand celebration of Onam is held is Trivandrum. The entire city is brilliantly lit and decorated for the festival. You can walk around this region at night and be amazed by the lights that dazzle the streets, trees, and buildings.

Palakkad

In Palakkad, a special occasion known as Onathallu takes place during the Onam celebration. Central Kerala is the home of the wrestling style known as Onathallu. Here, two competitors will wrestle and trade punches. Whoever can knock their opponent to the ground wins the game.

Ernakulam

Onam is a wonderful time to travel to Ernakulam. The well-known Athachamayam Festival is celebrated in the Thrippunithura district, which is close to Ernakulam. This celebration includes a street parade, musicians, and numerous traditional works of art from Kerala.

This time of year is filled with practically endless colourful variations of traditions and dances. To name a few, however, many people buy new clothes for the holidays, and countless lamps are lit at this time, just like during Diwali.

Thiruvananthapuram 

The festival of Onam is celebrated with great fervour in Thiruvananthapuram. The city is beautifully decked during this time. There are also other cultural events planned here. On the day of Onam, you can enjoy boating here.

Thrissur

You can go to Thrissur in Kerala. This is a popular tourist destination. Every year a large number of people come here to visit. You will be able to see a tiger dance here on the occasion of Onam. Apart from this, you will also be able to enjoy watching Puli-Kali dance here.

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Onam 2022: Visit these top cities to enjoy Onam in Kerala

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Rich cultural heritage of Kerala comes out in its best form and spirit during the ten day long festival. It is indeed a treat to be a part of the grand carnival. People of Kerala make elaborate preparations to celebrate it in the best possible manner.

The most impressive part of Onam celebration is Onasadya, prepared on Thiruonam. It is a nine course meal consisting of 11 to 13 essential dishes. Onasadya (special meals) is served on banana leaves to have  people sit on a mat laid on the floor. Another enchanting feature of Onam is Vallamkali,the Snake Boat Race, held on the river Pampa. It is a colourful sight to watch the decorated boat oared by hundreds of boatmen amidst chanting of songs and cheering by spectators.

Kuttanad is a favorite Kerala backwater destination and is ideal for leisurely cruising. Kuttanad is also known as the "Rice Bowl of Kerala" and is characterized by its green landscape. Travelling to Kuttanad is a must for visitors who don’t want to miss the scenic beauty of this verdant backwater destination in Kerala.

Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside fields of cassava, banana and yam, as well as emerald green fields of paddy. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields where farming is done are below sea level. The fields are surrounded by earthen bunds and crops are grown on the low-lying ground. This is similar to the polder regions of the Netherlands where land is reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown. You have to see the amazing below-sea-level fields of Kuttanad to get an actual feel of the place.

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Onam Celebrations in Houseboat: Kuttanad Houseboats

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The residents of Alleppey are close to nature and have a preference of a simple, healthy and peaceful lifestyle. Their traditional outfit of Alleppey is white Mundu and Neriathu; a plain white dhoti embroidered with golden silk lining for men and cream colored sari with golden border for women. The Alleppey cuisine can purely be classified under the typical Kerala food which mainly consists of rice and fish. The menu of these people lists Rice, Fish, Idli, Dosa, Vada, Sambhar, Uthapam, Appam, Kappa, Karimeen Pollichathu, other Sea Food, Kallu, etc. The economy of this region is mainly based on agriculture, back water fishing, shell collection, coir based industries, handlooms and handicrafts, and to top them all, tourism. Tourism is the most significant component of the economy of Alleppey. Tourists throng the Alleppey backwaters almost all round the year and the houseboats that cruise in the backwaters earn the boatmen substantial revenue.

Apart form the common Indian festivals Alleppey celebrates the traditional Kerala festivals, the most noteworthy amongst them being; Ugadi and Onam. Onam is Kerala’s biggest festival that falls in the month of Chingam according to Malayali Calendar and in the month of August or September according to the English Calendar. Onam commemorates the home coming of the legendary King Mahabali when along with the rest of the Kerala Alleppey hosts snake boat races which are ardently attended by a large number of residents as well as tourists. The Snake Boat Races of Kerala comprise the integrated part of the culture of Alleppey.

At the time of Onam, the backwaters of Alleppey are ignited by the vigorous boat races which is reckoned as the largest team sport in the world. Masses of elaborately carved long black wooden snake boats participate in these boat races. Besides the snake boats, other boats typically used for fishing or transportation such as Kettuvalam, Kochu-odi Vallam, Odi- Vallam, Irrutukuthi Vallam and Churulan or Chullam Vallam also participate in the boat races. By and large, a snake boat is ridden by 4 helmsmen, 25 singers and 100 to 125 oarsmen who row the boat to the rapid rhythms of the traditional boatmen song known as ‘Thevanchipattu’. Inestimable onlookers gather at the edges of the rivers or backwaters and cheer the boatmen as the enormous snake boats skillfully slice through the waters.

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Onam In Alleppey!!

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Onam is one of the most splendiferous festivals of God’s Own Country which is religiously as well as culturally significant celebrated with great grandeur and pomp. It is celebrated each year from late August until early September and it is observed by Keralites all over the world to commemorate the annual homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali. It is believed that on the festival day he will bless the people with happiness. It also marks the harvest festival of the state.

Thripunithura:

Thripunithura which once served as the erstwhile capital of Kochi is one of the best places in Kerala to experience the grandeur of Onam festival. The celebrations of Onam kicks off at Thripunithura near Ernakulam, with a spectacular cultural fiesta called the Athachamayam.

Thrikkakara:

A must-visit place during Onam festival is the Thrikkakara Temple which is dedicated to Vamana avatar of Lord Vishnu. The Onam festival is believed to have originated at Thrikkakara Temple. The celebrations of Onam at this temple also starts on the Atham day with a special flag hoisting ceremony. The festivity continues for nine more days with special cultural events, music and dance performances. Another highlight of this temple is the Pakalpooram which takes place on the day before Thiruvonam.

Thrissur:

To drench in the festive spirit of Onam, you should be in Thrissur, at the Swaraj Round where you bear witness to one of the most electrifying art form of Kerala called Pulikali (Tiger dance). I’m pretty sure you will lose yourself watching the vibrant Pulikali where the tiger-clad men mimic the movement of tigers to the throbbing beats of percussion music.

Trivandrum:

Another best place to indulge in the Onam celebrations is the capital city of Kerala, Trivandrum. The city wears a festive look with decorative lights for 10 days hosting various cultural activities, Pookalam contests, stage shows, dance competitions, folk arts, handicraft fairs, food stalls, etc at around 20 venues across the city.

Places To Visit In Kerala During Onam Festival

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