Date of Onam in 2017

Indians have a lot of important festivals. Onam is one of them. The date of onam in 2017 is 4 September. Read this article to know the onam, its method of celebration, its importance and also rituals related to it .

Onam 2014 date is 07 September 2017. The Onam is on Wednesday . Like every year, Onam will be marked in the month of chingam(august-september) of the Malayalam calendar and it lasts for 10 days. The Keralites usually celebrate this festival for 10 days which starts from the Astham Nakshatra.

It is considered to be an important festival for Malayalees. Onam will mark the beginning of the harvest season in the state of Kerala. According to purana, the King of Asura Mahabali, comes from pathala in order to meet the people on this very day. People on this day celebrate so that they can welcome the King. People like to pray the Lord Vamana during this festival.

Onam festival is usually celebrated by the people irrespective of the caste and creed. Devotees, on this occasion enjoy Onam Sadhya. Onam Sadhya is a type of feast which is known to be a lavish feast and the family members and the relatives enjoy this very much. However the method of serving this dish is quite different. It is served on a leaf of banana. Boat races are organized in this festival which is called Vallamkali and people like to participate in these boat racing competitions with utmost enthusiasm.

Significance and rituals of Onam in 2017

The Onam festival is no doubt one of the significant festivals of India. The rich cultural heritage of our country is displayed in the best form in Kerala where this festival is celebrated by the people for 10 days. To be a part of this festival is like a treat. The people of Kerala make grand preparations in order to celebrate this festival in the best possible way. Onam Sadya, a grand feast is undoubtedly the most impressive thing which we see in this festival. This feast is prepared on Thiruvonam. It is usually a nine course meal which consists of 11 to 13 important dishes. The feast Onam Sadya is usually served for the people on the banana leaves. People have to sit on the mat which is laid on the floor so that they may have the meal. This practice showcases the unity among the people. Vallamkali is another impressive feature of Onam festival.

On this festival there is a snake boat race which is held. The boats look very decorative. Hundreds of boatmen oar the boats amidst the songs sung by people and cheering spectators. One of the tradition of this festival is to play the games which are collectively called as Onakalikal. In the Onam festival, folk performances such as Kummatti Kali and Pulikali add colour of the festival. People on this day try to do everything in order to celebrate this festival in an emphatic way. Men on this festival take part in rigorous sports such as Talappanthukali, Kutukutu and combats such as Kayyankali and Attakalam. Women also like to take part in the cultural activities in this festival. They create designer flower mats which are called Pookalam in the front of their courtyard in order to welcome King Mahabali. Women also like to dance on this festival. The two graceful dances of this festival are Kaikotti Kali and Thumbi Thullal.

We hope to see great excitement in Onam. As people celebrate this festival in a fun-filled way, they will hopefully also practice all the rituals around this festival.

We wish you all Happy Onam..! Onam will surely bring peace and happiness for you !