Culture
The national festival of Kerala. Festival of harvest, opulence and floral finery occurring in August -September is the most colorful of Kerala's festivals. It is a picturesque festival marked by 10 days of
feasting, boat racing singing and dancing. Onam, the national festival of Kerala, has its origin in a legend. The tradition of Kerala has handed down sweet memories of a period of peace and plenty in the dim and distant past when Mahabali (Maveli) a celebrated emperor of the Asuras, was ruling over this land. This period is believed to have marked the golden age in the history
of Kerala. When Maveli was ruling, all happiness and no body had any problem. There was neither dishonesty nor deception. But this golden age come to a tragic end, when according to the legend, Mahabali by was expelled from his kingdom Vamana, the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu. The Devas, the eternal enemies of the Asuras grew jealous of the prosperity of Mahabali's kingdom and they appealed to Vishnu to expel Mahabali. Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of Vamana and snatched the kingdom from Mavel and blemished him to the nether world. The people believed that on Thiruvonam Mahabali visits every house to see how happy his subjects are. Every home is therefore decorated with floral patterns at the entrance to receive the ethereal guest. In many places, Kathakali performances are held. While men folk delight in exciting sports during Onam, women have their own entertainments like Thiruvathira, swinging etc.
