Moni's Academy

Atham Pathinu Pon Onam

31 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment

by vs moni in Kerala Rekhakal Tags: Athachamayam, Atham, Ona kaligal, Ona pudava, Onam, Pookkalam, Thiru onam rituals, Thiruonam, Thiruvadhiraikali

Atham Pathinu Pon Onam

Significance of Atham

Atham Pathinu Pon Onam. It means Counting 10 from Atha Nakshathram (Astham in Tamil) when the Onam will be celebrated. The day of Atham in the Malayalam month of Chingam, marks the beginning of Onam season and each of the next 10 days thereafter has its own significance. The making of Pookkalam (Floral Carpet) starts on this day. The Pookkalam will get bigger every day and on the Thiruonam day it turns out to be the largest.

Athachamayam

Athachamayam is a spectacular Onam procession at Tripunithura, near Kochi, conducted on the Atham day to welcome King Mahabali. The legend is that the King Mahabali who was pushed down to Pathalam by Lord Vamana, was given a boon to visit his kingdom and his people once in a year on the Onam day. Caparisoned elephants and folk art forms add to the splendor of this procession. This colourful carnival is connected to the erstwhile royal family of Kochi.

Thiru Onam

Thiruonam is regarded as the birth star of Lord Vamana, the fifth incarnation of Maha Vishnu. On the Thiruonam day a conical figure made up of clay and painted with rice flour paste, is placed in the courtyard. This is called Thrikkakarai Appan, who is Lord Vamana.

Onam is a harvest festival and it represents happiness and prosperity for every malayalee. The entire family gets together during this period and celebrates Onam. The children pick flowers from the neighbourhood and arrange Pookalam with the help of elder members of the family. The air is mixed with the aroma of Adapradhaman, Chakka varatti and Sarkara Upperi. Family members dressed up in their Ona Kodis will visit temple and offer prayers on this day.

To fully understand the Onam festival, one has to be familiar with the Onam terminology. Ona Kodi (New dress), Ona Sadhya (Onam Feast), Ona Kaligal (Onam Games) are all integral part of this festival.

Dances associated with Onam

Thiruvadhirai Kali (Kaikotti Kali)

Thiruvadhirai Kali is a unique dance form where the ladies wearing traditional Kerala white sarees dance around a pookkalam and a lamp (Nila Vilakku). They form a circle and dance to the song, clapping in unison.

Thumbi Thullal

Another dance, which is performed again by the woman folk, is the Thumbithullal where the women wearing traditional sarees sit down in a circle around the lead dancer and sing.

Kummati Kali

In Kummati Kali dance, the performers don heavily painted wooden masks and apparel made of plaited grass, and dance to the tune of traditional songs.

Ona Sadhya (Onam Feast)

This is the major attraction of the Onam Celebrations. There is a saying in Malayalam – “Kanam Vittum Onam Unnanam”. It means you should sell everything if needed to have the Onam Feast. Ona sadhya will be served at all Malayalee homes on all 10 days and on the Thiru Onam day there will be four types of Adapradhaman. The food will be strictly vegetarian and it will always be served on plantain leaves. The elaborate meal will contain 11 to 13 dishes. There is a fixed order for serving the meal and a set place to serve the various dishes on the leaf.

Ona Pudava (Ona Saree)

On the Uthiradam day, the Karanavar (elder member) of the family receives Ona Kazhcha, which are gifts mostly in the form of farm produce received from the farmers. In return the Karanavar presents the Ona Pudava or Ona Kodi (new Onam dress) to all family members and his servants

Ona Kalligal (Onam Games)

The games associated with Onam festival are called Ona Kalligal.

Pulikkali or Kaduva Kali

In Pulikkali the artists act as tigers, goats and hunters and dance to the beats of udukku and thakil. The artists who play the role of tiger are painted with yellow, red and black on their bodies. This dance form is very popular in Trissur and Palakkad districts.

Thalappanthukali

Thalapanthukali is a combination of football, volleyball and handball. The ball, which is used in this game, is made up of dried plantain leaves and coconut fibre wrapped around pebbles.

Onathallu (Onam Fight)

This is a stylish way to fight during Onam where men at their ruffian best take it out on the other.

Ona Pattukal (Onam Songs)

The Ona Pattuakal is supposed to be sung aloud, inviting people and prosperity into the house. These songs reflect the rich old tradition of Onam festivities.

Aranmula Boat Race and Valla Sadhya

Aranmula Vallam kali (boat race) is one of the most famous boat races in Kerala. Aranmula is a small town on the banks of Pamba river in Pathanamthitta district. On every Thiruonam day in Chingam month, Valla Sadhya is offered to the deity in the Aranmula temple and after the puja, the food is distributed among all the devotees. The rice, vegetables and other ingredients, which are required for conducting Valla Sadhya, are carried in a boat called Thiruona thoni, which is accompanied, by snake boats. It is a spectacular event, which no one should miss. Four days after the Thiruonam day, on the Uthirittathi day, the grand boat race takes place on the backwaters.

Modern day Onam

Some elders remember their olden days with nostalgia and observe that the Onam celebrations have changed over the last few decades. Some look at the modern day Onam celebration as more of a Government function than as a family function. This may be due to the disappearance of family bonding, joint family system and the emergence of nuclear families. It is partly true that the modern day Onam is celebrated with a shopping spree followed by ready to eat sadhyas and watching movies in television sitting at home.

But one can never disagree that despite the widespread commercialization of the Onam festival, it is still bringing people and families together. So one can conclude that the excitement and the feeling of oneness that Onam brings among people still remain intact.