Festival companion · Sunday 12 September 2027

Onam

Kerala's harvest homecoming. Everything for one festival in one place: the story to tell, the puja, a recipe, a craft for children and a shopping list.

Tell the story

The Story of Onam

Mahabali was a generous asura king under whom Kerala was happy and equal. The gods worried about his growing power, and Vishnu came to him as Vamana, a small boy, asking for three steps of land.

Mahabali agreed. Vamana grew enormous, covering the earth and sky in two steps, and Mahabali offered his own head for the third. Moved by his devotion, Vishnu allowed him to visit his people once a year.

Onam is the homecoming of Mahabali, and Keralites make their homes as beautiful as they were in his time.

How families celebrate

Ten days welcoming the legendary King Mahabali, whose return is celebrated with flower carpets, grand vegetarian feasts served on banana leaves, snake-boat races and dances.

Pookalam flower carpets, the Onam sadya on a banana leaf, new clothes (onakodi) and the Thiruvathira dance.

At home

The Puja

A home puja anyone can follow, step by step, with the words to say.

Short puja 15 minutes · freeFull puja 45 minutes · members

Before you begin

  1. Prepare

    Bathe, wear clean clothes and clean the puja place. Set out a lamp, incense, flowers, kumkum, turmeric, rice, water in a small vessel with a spoon, a bell and the naivedya (food offering).

  2. Light the lamp

    Light the lamp with ghee or oil and fold your hands.

    SayShubham karoti kalyanam arogyam dhana sampadah, shatru buddhi vinashaya deepa jyotir namostute

  3. Pray to Ganesha first

    Every puja begins with Ganesha, so the rest goes without obstacles. Offer a flower or a little rice.

    SayVakratunda mahakaya suryakoti samaprabha, nirvighnam kuru me deva sarva karyeshu sarvada

  4. Achamana and sankalpa

    Sip a spoon of water three times. Then hold a little water, rice and a flower and say, in your own language, who you are, where you are, and why you are doing this puja today. Let it fall in a plate.

    SayOm Keshavaya namah · Om Narayanaya namah · Om Madhavaya namah

Short puja

  1. Pookalam

    Each morning for ten days, children draw a flower carpet at the door, adding a ring for each day.

  2. Thrikkakara Appan

    On Thiruvonam morning, place a clay or wooden pyramid (Onathappan) in the centre of the pookalam to stand for Vamana and Mahabali.

  3. Puja

    Offer flowers, rice and a lamp, and the first portion of the feast.

    SayOm Namo Narayanaya

  4. Onakodi

    Elders give new clothes to the family.

  5. Sadya

    Serve the meal on a banana leaf in the right order, from salt and pickles on the left to payasam at the end.

Closing

  1. Naivedya

    Place the food before the deity, sprinkle a little water around it and offer it with your hands open.

    SayOm pranaya svaha · Om apanaya svaha · Om vyanaya svaha · Om udanaya svaha · Om samanaya svaha

  2. Aarti

    Wave the camphor or ghee lamp clockwise in front of the deity, ringing the bell, while the family sings an aarti or bhajan.

  3. Pradakshina and namaskara

    Turn around once clockwise where you stand, then bow or prostrate. Ask forgiveness for anything done wrongly.

    SayYani kani cha papani janmantara kritani cha, tani tani vinashyanti pradakshina pade pade

  4. Share the prasada

    Share the naivedya with everyone at home and with neighbours.

Full puja

The full puja follows the sixteen offerings, the shodashopachara, with every mantra in Devanagari, Kannada or Telugu script. It takes about 45 minutes.

  1. DhyanaThink of the deity
  2. AvahanaInvite the deity
  3. AsanaOffer a seat (a flower or rice)
  4. PadyaWater to wash the feet
  5. ArghyaWater to wash the hands
  6. AchamaniyaWater to sip
  7. SnanaA bath (sprinkle water, or abhisheka)
  8. VastraClothes (a cloth or cotton thread)
  9. Yajnopavita / AbharanaSacred thread or ornaments
  10. GandhaSandal paste, turmeric and kumkum
  11. PushpaFlowers and leaves
  12. DhupaIncense
  13. DeepaA lamp
  14. NaivedyaFood
  15. TambulaBetel leaf and nut, or fruit
  16. Nirajana and namaskaraAarti, flowers and bowing

Members: open the full pujaShort of time? The short puja is complete on its own: flowers, a lamp and food offered with love are enough.

Print

Short puja guide to print

Every family and region has its own customs, so follow your elders or priest where they differ.

Cook together

Semiya Payasam

More recipes →
All India · Onam, birthdays, Annaprashana

Semiya Payasam

Vermicelli kheer: shavige payasa in Kannada, semiya payasam in Tamil and Malayalam, seviyan kheer in the north

  • 25 min
  • Serves 4
Ingredients and method

Ingredients

  • ½ cup thin vermicelli
  • 1 litre milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • Cashews, raisins, cardamom, saffron

Method

  1. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee and set aside.
  2. Roast the vermicelli in the same ghee until golden.
  3. Add milk and simmer until soft, 10 minutes.
  4. Add sugar, cardamom and saffron, then the nuts.

For Annaprashana, cook plain rice in milk instead, and blend it smooth for the baby.

For children

Make a pookalam

You need

  • Flower petals in many colours
  • Chalk to draw the outline
  • Leaves for green
  • A small lamp for the centre

Steps

  1. Draw a circle and divide it into rings and petals with chalk.
  2. Fill from the centre outwards with one colour per section.
  3. Add a new ring each of the ten days.
  4. Place a lamp in the middle on Thiruvonam.

Get ready

Shopping List

Tick things off as you go, or print the list for the Indian store.

Shopping list

Looking for something, or want to help? Ask us for a festival, ceremony or recipe from your region, or tell us how you would like to help.

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