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Onam Games and Onam Celebrations |
Onam Feast
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The Onam sadhya (feast) is another very indispensable part of Thiruvonam, and almost every Keralite attempts to either make or attend one. Rich and the poor, everybody prepares Onasadya in a grand fashion as people of Kerala are extremely devotional and passionate when it comes to Onasadya. So much so that, it has lead to saying, 'Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam'. Meaning - men go to the extend of selling all their possessions for one Onam Sathya. In hotels and temples, the number of curries and dishes may go up to 30.
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Boat Race
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The Vallamkali (the snake boat race) is another event that is synonymous with Onam. Well-known races include the Aramula Boat Race and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race . About 100 oarsmen row huge and graceful snake boats and men and women come from far and near to watch the snake boats skim through the water. Vallamkali boat are no ordinary boats and there are fixed measurements to it. It is about 100 feet long and has a seating capacity of 150 men. The boats are usually made of anjili (Artocarpus hirsuta), though sometimes teak and kadamb (Naucleacadamba) wood is also used. The curled ends of the boats are shaped like cobra hoods and it is from this shape that boat has derived its name. Each boat is meticulously crafted by skilled craftsmen and a lot of patience and hard work goes into making and decorating it. The boat is treated as a deity and a holds a lot of emotional value for the village folk. Each boat belong to individual villages located near the river Pamba.
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Onapaattu
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The songs are being religiously carried forward from one generation to other as people take great delight in singing them. മാവേലി നാട് വാണിടും കാലം ആധികള് വ്യാധികള് ഒന്നുമില്ല കള്ളവുമില്ല ചതിയുമില്ല കള്ളപ്പറയും ചെറുനാഴിയും (Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam, English translation of this beautiful Onam song: |
Thalapanthu kali
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Thalappanthukali is one of the major out-door games played on the occasion of Onam. The game is essentially a ball game and extremely popular one. The ball is prepared by tying a few pebbles in the layers of dried-up plantain leaves with the help of a plantain or coconut fiber. The players are divided into two groups and a stick called 'natta' is planted at one end of the court. The court is basically an open space with lines drawn at to indicate the limit beyond which the ball should not be thrown. One party serves the ball and tries to hit the stick while others try to catch it. If the ball is caught then the man is out otherwise he gets another chance.
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Attakalam
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Attakalam is another kind of combat which is comparatively less hazardous in nature .In this the game is not played individually rather the players are made to play into groups. A large circle is drawn on the plain sand floor and one group is placed inside the circle. A member of the second group tries to bring the former outside the circle and both are free to use force. However, once any member of the inside team steps of the circle, he is considered out. After all the members of a team are dragged out, the other team takes its position inside the circle. If a member of any team cannot be driven out, his party is declared victorious.
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Onathallu
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Onathallu is a mock fight performed to mark the advent of the festive season of Onam. Also referred to as Kayyankali, Onathallu is a very old ritual that is followed in many regions of Kerala. In the barehanded fight, the combatants are clad in mundu (dhoti) or plain white cotton cloth that is worn high, like tight shorts. The men are accessorized with a sort of bandage around their legs, which protects them from injury. Apart from being a ritual, Onathallu is an interesting game that is performed by the male members of the family, during Onam.
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Kaikottikali
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Kaikottikali or Thiruvathirakali is an extremely popular folk dance performed by the maidens of Kerala. It is a group dance and is mainly performed on the occasion of Onam and Thiruvathira. Women, both young and old submerge themselves in the spirit of the occasion and dance with perfect ease and e¢lan. Tales depicted in Kaikottikali owe their origin to Kathakali, a profound dance form of Kerala. 'Ragachaya' of Kaikottikali derives its origin from Kathakali. Accordingly, the songs are based on episodes like Krishna-leela, Shakunthalam, Kuchelavritham and Dhruvacharithram. Greater emphasis is given to the rhythmic movements than mudra.
Popular ragas found in Kaikottikali songs include Hussaini, Bhairavi and Kamboji. Though on several occasions songs deviate from puranic stories and make use of folk tales. At times, devotional songs are also rendered in the worship of Saraswati, Ganapati and Krishna. Special songs are also sung in praise of King Mahabali as according to a popular legend, the festival on Onam celebrates the arrival of the king to the state of Kerala. |
Pulikali
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Puli Kali is a colorful recreational folk art from the state of Kerala. It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Nalaam Onam), performers painted like tigers and hunters in bright yellow, red, and black dance to the beats of instruments like Udukku performance revolve around the theme of tiger hunting. The folk art is mainly practiced in Thrissur District of Kerala .Best place to watch the show is at Swaraj Round, Thrissur on the fourth day of Onam, where Pulikali troupes from all over the district assemble to display their skills. The festival attracts thousands of people to the Thrissur city.
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Kummattikali
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Kummattikali or Kummatti Kali is the famous colorful mask-dance of Kerala , prevalent in Thrissur and Palakkad District and parts of South Malabar. During the festival of Onam , Kummattikali performers move from house to house collecting small gifts and entertaining people. Kummatti dances are rampant in the Thrissur District during Onam. Pristine or original form of Kummattikali can be seen in the Bhadrakali temple inPalakkad District . The costumes are a most interesting facet of Kummattikali.The dancers don a heavily painted colourful wooden mask depicting faces of Krishna, Narada, Kiratha, Darika or hunters. These masks are usually made out of saprophyte , jack fruit tree, Alstonia scholaris ,Hog Plum Tree or the Coral tree.The rhythm for the dance movements is provided by vibrating the string of a bow like instrument called an Onavillu. Areca nut wood is used to make the bow and the strings are beaten with a narrow bamboo stick.The themes of Kummattikali are mostly taken from the stories of Ramayana, Darika Vadham, the story of Shiva and folk tales like Manjan Nayare Pattu.
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Aranmula Vallamkali
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Noted for its grandeur and long tradition, the Aranmula Uthrittathi boat race is considered as a ritual than a race that takes place on the Uthrittathi asterism (as per the local Malayalam calendar) during the Onam festival. There is an interesting story associated with the boat race that makes it all the more beautiful. Legend has it that a devout Brahmin vowed to offer all the requirements for the thiruvona sadya (the grand traditional feast on the day of Thiruvonam) at the Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple. Once, the boat known as Thiruvona Thoni carrying these offerings was attacked by enemies. In order to protect the Thiruvona Thoni people from neighbouring areas sent their snake boats. Later on, this practice evolved into an offering to Lord Parthasarathy in the form of a snake boat race, held on the Uthrittathi day which eventually became popular as the Aranmula Boat Race. |
Ochirakali |
It occurs in Ochira Temple, situated near the National Highway between Kollam and Alappuzha, it involves a mock battle between two groups to the sound of drums in a waterlogged field called Padanilam. Boys and men split in two groups jump into the field and engage in a mock battle. The battle is fought with sticks instead of swords and the participants splash the muddy water at each other. The battle commemorates the historic battle fought between the erstwhile Kayamkulam and Ambalapuzha kingdoms. |