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The festival of Onam is widely recognised as the "national festival of Kerala," and is celebrated with full splendour and joy. Various processions, such as Athachamayam or the Athachamaya, occur each year.
These diverse cultural art forms attract hundreds and thousands of people to the Kanakakkunnu Palace. Cultural events like dramas, music festivals, Kathaprasangam, and Kathakali performances are just a few of the many programs available to the public.
In Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), thousands gather at the PMG junction to enjoy the illuminated streets stretching from East Fort to Vellayambalam.
The celebration of Onam cannot be complete without a Pookalam. Pookalam, also spelt as Pookolam or Athapookalam, is a rangoli-like design made of flowers, where "Poo" refers to flowers and "Kolam" refers to the rangoli design.
According to the legends, Pookolams were first created to greet King Mahabali, the mythical king of Kerala. Mahabali, also known as Mahaveli, used to visit his kingdom every year during Onam. After being tested for his devotion by Lord Vishnu's fifth avatar, Vamana, Mahabali was sent to the Nether World (Patala Loka) but was granted a boon that allowed him to visit his kingdom once a year (a legend that sounds strikingly similar to the Greek story of Persephone). As per Mahabali's story, people would adorn the streets with floral carpets to welcome their king every Onam.
In certain regions, the Pookalam is used to display each nakshatra of the day. For instance, during Moolam day, the four corners of the Pookalam would be highlighted.
Additionally, a traditional Pookolam with multiple rings (concentric) is created to honour various deities. The rings inside the design are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, their sons Ganesha and Kartikeya, Lord Brahma (the creator of the Universe), and lastly, the Vamana Avatar of Lord Vishnu and King Mahabali.
Common flowers used in Pookalam include Vishnukranthi, Karuka, Muyal Cheviyan, Thiruthaali, Cheroola, Nilappana, Kayyonni, Poovamkurunilla, Mukkutti, and Uzhinja.
