The Best Places to Celebrate Onam Festival in Kerala

A time of joyful celebrations and rich cultural traditions, the Onam Festival in Kerala heralds the harvest season with its vivid and colorful display. This yearly celebration, which usually happens in August or September, brings visitors and residents together to enjoy Kerala’s distinct beauty. Celebration is a major cultural highlight in the area because of its lavish feasts, traditional dances, and intricate floral arrangements.

Kerala has several excellent spots that highlight the grandeur of the event for anyone wishing to experience Onam in all its authentic glory. Every location offers a unique way to celebrate, from the busy streets of Kochi to the tranquil backwaters of Alleppey. Keralan cities and towns come to life with colorful parades, customary boat races, and elaborate floral carpets, showcasing the festival’s rich history of culture to onlookers.

Thrissur, famous for its beautiful Pulikali (tiger dance) and large Onam parade, and the charming town of Kottayam, well-known for its customary Onam sadya (feast), are two of the greatest sites to celebrate Onam. For those seeking a Kerala Tour, these destinations offer a perfect blend of culture and festivity. Additionally, the serene landscapes of Wayanad and Munnar provide a unique setting to enjoy the festival’s cultural events amidst nature’s beauty. Whether you prefer the lively celebrations or the tranquil surroundings, a Kerala tour package ensures you experience Onam in all its glory, offering a wide range of experiences to suit every traveler’s preference.

Here are the Best Places to celebrate the Onam Festival in Kerala:

1. Tripunithura: For Athachamayam

Thripunithura is one of the greatest sites in Kerala to celebrate Onam since it holds many cultural events throughout the 10-day holiday. The most well-known and magnificent of all is the Athachamayam Procession, which attracts visitors and residents from all around to Thripunithura to experience the joyous atmosphere. This wonderful cultural event marks the start of Kerala’s ten-day Onam celebration and is a unique opportunity to see every traditional art form of the region. The parade is exceptionally beautiful because of the colourful folk-art forms like Pulikali, Theyyam, and Kavadiyattam, the colourful floats, the tableaus portraying historical and mythological scenes, the percussion music like Pandimelam and Panchavadyam, the classical dances like Kathakali and Mohiniyattam, etc.

2. Trivandrum: To Indulge in Grand Onam Celebrations

Come to Trivandrum and enjoy the lavish Onam festivities. In Trivandrum, the holiday is observed with tremendous zeal and jubilation. During the whole week of Onam, Kerala’s capital city is beautifully illuminated and decked out in festive decor, making it a pleasure to visit. You may immerse yourself in the Onam holiday spirit by attending several cultural events held across the city, including Pookalam tournaments, stage shows, dance competitions, folk arts, and handicraft fairs. During the giant celebration on Thiruvonam day, it is a thrill to watch the magnificent procession of beautifully caparisoned elephants with all their power and the wonderful floats presenting cultural attractions of Kerala.

3. Thrikkakara Temple: For Pakalpooram

Visiting Thrikkakara Temple during the Onam festival offers an entirely unique experience. The genesis of the Onam festival is thought to have occurred at this temple, which is the only one in Kerala devoted to Lord Vishnu’s Vamana avatar. It is thought that in Thrikkakara, the mythical monarch Mahabali was banished to the underworld. A view of the elephants at the Thrikkakara temple decorated during the Pakal Pooram. Thrikkakara Temple hosts the Onam Festival for nine days, starting on Atham Day with a unique flag hoisting ceremony and featuring wonderful cultural events, music, and dance performances. The primary attraction is the Pakalpooram, which takes place the day before Thiruvonam and involves the temple’s deity being paraded about the premises on an elephant.

4. Thrissur: To Witness Pulikali

Without a doubt, one of the greatest locations to immerse yourself in the Onam festivities is Thrissur. One of the main reasons you should visit Thrissur during the Onam festival is to see Pulikali, the famous street art genre of Kerala. On the fourth day of the Onam celebration, visit the Thrissur Swaraj Round to indulge your senses and immerse yourself in the thrilling Pulikali, where men dressed like tiger’s dance to the rhythmic sounds of percussion music. Thousands of people can be seen applauding and dancing with their favourite tigers as the entire town is enveloped in colour and festive energy. You would never have encountered anything like it in your lives.

5. Alleppey: To feast on delicious Onasadya while Cruising Through Backwaters

Consider spending Onam on a houseboat. To experience this special Onam, travel to Alleppey. Create a lively Pookalam on the houseboat, enjoy games with your family, and take in the festive atmosphere and amazing views of the charming villages that surround it. Furthermore, savoring the delicious Onasadya while cruising Alleppey’s beautiful backwaters is an unmissable joy. Even though Alleppey is frequently included in visitor itineraries for Kerala, taking an Alleppey houseboat trip during Onam is an unforgettable experience that will live in your memory forever.

6. Palakkad: To Witness Onathallu

Another excellent location to visit during Onam if you want to see Kerala’s unique Onam wrestling competition, known as Onathallu, is Palakkad. Onathallu is a semi-contact fighting sport and Indian martial dance that is practiced during the Onam festival in Kerala. It is also referred to as Kayyamkali or Avittathallu. The event is a fairly common phenomenon that is frequently observed in North and Central Kerala. Two competitors compete at a time in this unique wrestling sport, which often takes place on Thiruvonam afternoon following the delectable Onasadya. They struggle and trade blows in an attempt to topple the other player; the first one to do so wins.

Conclusion:

Keralan Onam celebrations include a diverse range of experiences that showcase the festival’s rich cultural heritage and joyous atmosphere. Every area offers a different way to experience the festival’s lively traditions, from the quiet celebrations in Munnar and Wayanad to the giant parades in Thrissur and the traditional feasts in Kottayam. Kerala offers an array of various offerings that guarantee Onam is celebrated in all its beauty, making it an unforgettable experience for everyone who attends. These offerings cater to both peaceful moments of meditation and boisterous festivals. For those looking to immerse themselves fully in this vibrant celebration, a Kerala tour package can be the perfect way to explore the state’s unique traditions, scenic beauty, and cultural richness during Onam. Whether you’re drawn to the serene backwaters, lush hill stations, or bustling festival parades, a well-planned tour package ensures you don’t miss a single moment of this magical festival.

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