About Onam
Onam is Kerala's most beloved festival, observed by Malayalis of every faith. The legend holds that Mahabali — a generous and just asura king whose reign was so prosperous that the gods grew jealous — was sent to the netherworld by Vishnu in his Vamana avatar, but granted one annual visit to his people. Each year his kingdom welcomes him back with flower carpets (pookkalam), boat races (vallam kali), tiger dances (pulikali), and a feast of twenty-six dishes served on a banana leaf (Onasadya).
For a deeper historical treatment, see Onam — Wikipedia.
The festival's mood is unusually egalitarian — Mahabali's reign is remembered as a time when 'all men were equal' — and the rituals reflect that. Pookkalams begin small on day one and grow more elaborate each day until Thiruvonam, the tenth and most important day. New clothes (kasavu mundu and saree, woven with a gold border) are worn, and cards are exchanged with the greeting Onashamsakal.
Traditional greetings
The phrases below are the ones most often used to mark Onam in person, by phone, and on cards. The native-script column shows the greeting as a recipient would read it; the transliteration is for those who would like to say it aloud; the English column is a literal rather than a poetic translation.
| Language | Greeting | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malayalam | ഓണാശംസകൾ | Onashamsakal | Onam wishes |
| Malayalam | ഹൃദയം നിറഞ്ഞ ഓണാശംസകൾ | Hridayam niranja Onashamsakal | Heartfelt Onam wishes |
Design tips for printable Onam cards
Hand-printed cards for Onam reward restraint and specific reference. The notes below distil what the most thoughtful cards in the tradition tend to do — and what the most commercial ones tend to get wrong.
- A pookkalam viewed from above — concentric rings of marigold, ixora, jasmine — is the signature Onam visual.
- Use ivory paper with a single off-centre kasavu-style gold border, echoing the festival saree.
- Banana-leaf green and elephant grey are quieter, equally traditional palette options.
- Pulikali (tiger dance) iconography works well for cards sent to children.
- Leave room for a hand-written line — Malayali families pass cards around the Onasadya leaf.
A starting palette:
Five verses for Onam cards
Each verse below is short enough to copy onto a folded card by hand. They progress from formal to intimate; pick the one that best fits the relationship and the year you are writing into.
- May Mahabali find your door open and your floor laid with flowers. Onashamsakal.
- Twenty-six dishes on one banana leaf — that is Kerala's quiet boast, and my wish for your year ahead.
- From our pookkalam to yours, and from our banana leaf to yours — happy Onam.
- A festival old enough to remember an honest king, and a wish young enough to be made today: may your home be as full as his.
- The boat races, the tiger dance, the gold border, the small cousin who will not sit still — may all of it find you. Onashamsakal.
Related cultural holidays
Other holidays observed in the South Asia family of traditions: