Surely the biggest and one of the most colourful festivities of Kerala, Onam, is just three days away. The entire state don’s an attire soaked in joyous spirits, floral fragrance and an aura unmatched by any other festival in the state.
Homes, shops, businesses and each and every living soul exuberantly let their spirits and the contagious aura free. 
The Onam day is on September 2, 2009, but major Onam celebrations will get underway on September 1st and will continue for an entire week. The best places to catch the action are Trivandrum, Thrissur, and Kottayam.
Why is Onam celebrated?
Onam celebrates the golden rule of King Mahabali, a mythical king, who ruled Kerala aeons ago. The selfless and altruist nature of Mahabali, his sanctity and devotion to the almighty and his human pride and other virtues are equally reflected in the spirit of Onam.
Onam: A secular canvas 
Onam is celebrated in Kerala irrespective of its origin or the legend. People from all the religions and races come together to enhance the grandeur of this festivity with equal fervor.
The Festivities
A flower carpet called ‘Pookalam’ is one of the major attractions of the festival. Decorating the yards of every house the colourful carpet welcomes the return of Mahabali. A lavish feast ‘Sadhya’ follows the cultural rituals and adds that zing to all those souls who harbour gigantic appetites. Onam also means new clothes for the whole family, sumptuous home-cooked delicacies on plantain leaf and the lingering aroma of the sweet Payasam.
The Spectacle 
Spectacular parades of caparisoned elephants, fireworks and the famous Kathakali dance are traditionally associated with Onam. It’s also the season of many cultural and sport events and carnivals. All this makes Onam-time a perfect period to visit this coastal state, touted as “Gods Own Country”.
No wonder the Government of Kerala has declared this time every year as Tourism Week.
The Grand Boat Race
One of the main attractions of Onam, is the ‘Vallamkali’ or boat races of Karuvatta, Payippad, Aranmula and Kottayam. Hundreds of oarsmen row traditional boats to the rhythm of drums and cymbals. These long graceful Snake Boats called ‘Chundans’ are named after their exceedingly long hulls and high sterns that resemble the raised hood of a cobra.
This year, the famous Aranmula Boat Race boat race carnival will be held along the Pampa River, at Aranmula, on September 6.
Then there are ‘Odis’, the small and swift raiding crafts adorned with gold tasseled silk umbrellas, the ‘Churulans’ with their elaborately curled prows and sterns, and the ‘Veppus’, a kind of cook-boat. This traditional village rivalry on watercrafts reminds one of ancient naval warfare.
Thousands throng the banks to cheer and watch the breathtaking show of muscle power, rowing skills and rapid rhythm. These boats – all pitted against their own kind – rip through the backwaters of Kerala in a tussle of speed.
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