Onam Sadya A Pan Indian Phenomenon The festival of Onam is celebrated throughout the state of Kerala.Delicious food is also the highlight of the day and a number of homes will get set to prepare an Onam sadya or onasadhya with a host of special dishes for it. Yes, even going up to 26 items on a single plantain, and if you're lucky to be invited, you're in for a lavish feast!

The festival of Onam is celebrated throughout the state of Kerala.Delicious food is also the highlight of the day and a number of homes will get set to prepare an Onam sadya or onasadhya with a host of special dishes for it. Yes, even going up to 26 items on a single plantain, and if you're lucky to be invited, you're in for a lavish feast! Malayali dishes that includes aviyal (mix vegetable dish), thoran (made of cabbage or beans), pulissery (buttermilk curry), kozhikotta (steamed rice and jaggery dumpling), sambar, chenna varuthatha or fried yam, pachadi, banana chips, nenthrapazham halva (banana halwa and payasam).

Onam is celebrated as an outcome of reasons that have to do with mythology as well as old agrarian practices. If one is to go by the myth, then King Mahabali or Maveli was a generous and virtuous ruler, who had once ruled Kerala. During his rule, the kingdom became so prosperous that devas (gods of the Heaven) felt jealous about this and also for the reason that King Mahabali was an asura - a member of the demon clan - who were the enemies of devas. So, they sent Lord Vishnu in the guise of Vamana (a dwarf) to King Mahabali. As an offering from the generous king, Vamanarequested Mahabali for three feet of land. And at the time of measuring the three feet of land,Vamana grew so huge that he measured all the worlds in two steps. Since he had nowhere else to place his third step, Mahabali asked Vamana to place it on his head. Pleased by his benevolence, Vamana blessed Mahabali before he was sent to the nether world and granted him permission to visit his dear subjects once in a year. This occasion is celebrated by all Keralites as Onam.

What is fascinating about the festival is its adoption across the country. Aruna Mucherla, a Chef and Digital Content Creator shared, "Onam is a time for me to celebrate the culture and traditions of Kerala, even though I am not Malayali. I start the day by creating a beautiful flower arrangement called a "pookalam" in my front yard. My family and I gather together to enjoy a delicious feast of South Indian dishes, including my favourite, payasam. Before lunch, we offer prasad to the gods. We also play games and have fun together." Similarly, Suchorita Roy Digital Content Creator said, "This Onam I have tried to work less, since I wanted to celebrate the occasion. I planned all the brand collabs and other works prior and finished earlier so I had the Onam week fully to experience the celebrations."