|
|
Onam,
the principal festival of Kerala, is celebrated against
a setting of lush green vegetation. This picturesque
harvest festival brings ten days of colour feasting,
boat races, song and dance to the state.
According to legend, the state's most colourful festival,
Onam celebrates the golden age of King Mahabali, the
mythical ruler of Kerala. The festival is to welcome
the spirit of King Mahabali, and to assure him that
his people are happy and wish him well. The myth goes
like this:
The
Devas or Gods were worried over the wise and good
rule of Mahabali, the Asura king, thinking that he
might become too powerful. They sought the help of
Vishnu (the preserver in the Hindu trinity) to curb
Mahabali's power. Vishnu, in the form of a dwarf called
Vamana, approached him and had been offered a boon
by the king. The Vamana asked for three paces of land
and the king agreed to it. Soon the dwarf began to
expand and with the first step, he covered the sky,
blotting out the stars, and with the second, he straddled
the nether world.
|
