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ONAM: The Harvest Festival
Onam
is a four-day harvest festival celebrated in Kerala. It falls in the
Malyali month of Chingam (August/September), marking the end of the
life-giving monsoon and the advent of spring.
Mythologically,
the event celebrates the annual visit of King Mahabali. According to a
legend in Vishnu Purana, Mahabali, a king of Kerala, gained
dominion over the three worlds through serious penence. He was an able
and just ruler and his people adored him. The gods however, shorn of
their powers and deprived of their abode and the spoils from sacrifices
performed on earth, asked Vishnu for help. He agreed, and took his
fourth incarnation of Vamana, the dwarf. 
According
to the story, he was born to Sage Kashyapa and his consort Aditi. When
he attained maturity, he went to the court of
Mahabali, who was in the midst of a sacrifice. The virtuous Mahabali
asked the Brahmin what he desired. Vamana begged for as much land
as he could encompass with three steps. Bali agreed to the humble
request but as soon as the sacrificial water was poured on Vamana's
hands, he became a giant. With one step he covered the earth, with the
second step the heavens. As there was no place to claim his third step,
Bali offered his head as a resting ground. Vishnu put his foot on Bali's
head and pushed him down to the netherworld. However, in recognition of
his virtues, Vishnu made him king of the Asuras. At Bali's
request, Vishnu allowed him to return to earth to visit his people once
a year. It is believed that Mahabali visits his people in Kerala during
Onam.
It
has now been historically established that a king named Mahabali ruled
over the region of modern Kerala around the 4th century AD. He was a
powerful and just king and his dynasty ruled over Kerala for about 150
years. The snake boat races form an important part of Onam celebrations. Some of the sites famous for these races are Aranmula on the Pamba River in the Kuttanad region, Papiyad near Quilon, and Thayathangadi near Kottayam. The narrow boats are about 100 feet long with a capacity of about 150 men. Black in colour, the boats are usually made of anjili (Artocarpus hirsuta), but sometimes teak and kadamb (Naucleacadamba) wood is also used. 
Both ends of the boat curl out of the water to about 15 to 20 feet. The
curled ends are shaped like cobra hoods and it is from this shape that
boat has derived its name. Traditional boat builders who inherit this
art from their fathers and pass it down to their sons make the boats.
Everything is handmade and crafted with great care. The boats are
ornately designed and decorated with green and scarlet silk umbrellas;
their number denotes the affluence of the family to which they belong.
Gold coins, ornaments and tassels are hung from the umbrellas.
Preparations
for the race begin days in advance. The boats are launched into the
water a day before the race, which is held on the third of the four-day
festival. On the day of the race, the boats are smeared with coconut oil
to smooth their passage through the water. Just before the race begins,
priests perform a small puja to Vishnu and Mahabali and confer blessings
on the boat and the boatmen. One hundred oarsmen row each long,
graceful, snake-like boat to the beat of cymbals, drums, and songs.
According to a legend related to the origin of these boats,
once some bandits robbed a small boat carrying offerings to a Krishna
temple. Krishna appeared before the devotee in a dream and advised him
to build a larger boat which, when rowed by 100 to 150 oarsmen, would
glide swiftly and outstrip any pirate. And so the speedy or snake boat
was designed. |