THE EXISTENTIAL REALITY

ONAM celebrations

he feast of ONAM is a state festival of Kerala. It is celebrated by all the Malayalees across the world. It is a feast of Joy, Prosperity, Unity and Harmony. Irrespective of the caste, creed and religion the feast is celebrated. The beautiful flower arrangements (Pukalam), Boat race, traditional food habits are special on this day.

Basically, Onam is a harvest festival. It lasts from four to ten days. It falls somewhere towards the end of August and beginning of September according to the Gregorian Calendar. The first month of Malayalam (kolla varsham) is called 'Chingam' which sets the festal tone. So far, the rain has brought good tidings and the spring will bring better prosperity. However, the feast has mythical significance.

The word ‘Onam’ or ‘Thiruvonam’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Shravanam.’ Thiruonam is one among the 27 nakshatras or constellations and in Sanskrit ‘Thiruvonam’ is known as ‘Shravanam.’ The passage of time and local language usage saw the word Shravanam becoming Onam. The word ‘Thiru’ is used to address auspicious places and activities. The word Maveli or Mahabali means the Great (maha) Sacrifice (Bali). Onam is a commemoration of the great sacrifice of the king Maveli or Mahabali.

The Legend

t the back of this feast, there is a myth involved. According to the Legend, there was a King called Mahabali who was very generous, kind, loving and caring his people. In his kingdom, there weren't any untoward activities, no theft, no corruption, and no immorality. People lived a happy life. People had access to the King at any time. As the fame of this king spread, the goddess Aditi pleaded Lord Vishnu to test this King. So Vishnu incarnates in the form of a dwarf Brahmin boy, called Vamana, and begs for favour. The generous king replies, “Ask anything you want and I will give it to you.” Vamana asked for a small plot of land enough to keep his foot thrice. The King agreed. Now Vamana grew in size and started measuring the land. From the first measure of a foot, he covered the whole earth, with the second the whole of Heaven. Left no place to measure the third foot, Vamana asked the place to keep the third one. The King realizing who it was, says, “Lord, keep over my head.” And with this, the King was pushed to the abyss (patala). But the Lord upon doing so, blessed the King for his generosity saying, “You can visit once a year to visit your people.” The Onam Celebration is the commemoration of the ‘revisit’ of Mahabali to the god’s own country (Kerala).

Critique

1. Onam is a sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God: Jesus speaks about the Kingdom of God where peace, harmony, brotherhood, equality, morality and justice reigns. Such was the Kingdom of God. The Mahabali’s return symbolizes that divine kingdom.

2. Onam is a Cultural Feast: Every culture has something unique to offer, bring people together. For the North Indians, it is Dassara or Durga Puja, for tribals of Chotanagpur it is Karam, for the Maharashtrians it is Ganeshosthsava, for the Andhra and Telangana people it is Ugadi, and similarly, for the Malayalese it is Onam. They exhibit their culture, their traditional food habits, their traditional practices like boat race, flower arrangement (pukala), Thiruvadira kali, puli dance etc.

3. Onam is a Harvest Feast: It is a duty of every human being to thank the Lord for the good produce in the field. Good produce is a blessing indeed. As in every culture, so too Onam is a harvest feast.

4. Onam is a Reminder of the Controversy between Dravidian-Aryan Supremacy: In the above myth, the King Mahabali is not a divine king, rather he is an Asura, a demon king. The Brahmin boy, ‘Vamana,’ represents a divine being. According to the ancient tradition, Aryans are known as the high-class people of the society who only have access to read scripture, to rule over the people, etc. On the other hand, the Dravidians who were the original inhabitants were considered asuras or non-divine. Thus, the myth shows the supremacy of Aryans over the Dravidians. Some people also have contra views regarding this. Equally, there are different versions of myths in circulation today. Dalits read this myth from their point of view(for example, Jyothirao Phule). Whatever be the case, the feast reminds us of the supremacy of one over the other which should be shunned in any way to establish peace and equanimity.

5. Onam myth leads us to a corrupt-free nation: Just as a divine being Vamana pushes the Mahabali to the abyss, so too every a corrupt person should be pushed to the abyss. We need to condemn all the corrupt people who ruin the heritage of the democratic country and make the country a prosperous, socialistic, and democratic.