Onam 2023: All You Need To Know About The History And Significance Of The Harvest Festival

The 10-day-long festival Onam celebrates the homecoming of the Asura King Mahabali from the Patal Lok.

People in the southern state of Kerala are celebrating Onam to mark the harvest season and the end of the monsoon. The 10-day-long harvest festival, Onam, will end on Tuesday (August 29) with Thiruvonam. The celebrations began on August 20 with Atham. The festival is considered a time of feasting and cultural bonding, bringing people from all walks of life together.

On August 28, people celebrated Uthradam, considered the penultimate day. The day holds immense importance, as people welcome the spirit of King Mahabali, a benevolent and righteous ruler known as "Sukrutha Yuga" - the golden era.

Onam celebrates the homecoming of the Asura King Mahabali from the Patal Lok. Despite being a demon king, Mahabali was said to be generous and his era was considered the golden time for Kerala. This is the reason why his return is widely celebrated.