Onam 2025: Date, significance, rituals, history, celebrations and all you need to know about the 10 day festival

Onam 2025: Onam, Kerala’s vibrant 10-day harvest festival, is celebrated with grandeur, tradition, and devotion. Know date, history, significance and more.

Onam 2025: In Kerala, Onam is celebrated to honour the return of the legendary King Mahabali. The festival also signifies the end of the monsoon and the start of the harvest season. Marked with feasts, rituals, and vibrant celebrations, the day welcomes Mahabali to Earth. As the festival approaches, here’s a look at the key facts, traditions, and customs associated with Onam.

Onam 2025: When will it be celebrated?

Onam 2025: Onam is a significant festival in Kerala celebrating the return of King Mahabali. (Freepik)

Onam is a ten-day harvest festival. Atham marks the first day of the festival, and on the last day, Thiruvonam is observed. According to Drik Panchang, Onam is observed in the Chingam month of the Malayalam calendar. This year, Atham will be observed on August 26, and Thiruvonam falls on September 5.

Onam 2025 history and significance

King Mahabali was a demon king but was greatly loved by his followers and disciples. During his reign, it is believed that the state of Kerala flourished. However, King Mahabali was sent to Patal Lok, with the condition that he can visit his followers on earth only for a day every year. Onam marks the time when King Mahabali returns to earth to visit his people.

The sadhya feast on Onam has more than 20 varieties of dishes, including several kinds of pickles

Onam is observed with a range of traditional dance performances such as Thiruvathira Kali, Pulikali (tiger dance), and Kathakali dance. On Thiruvonam, the last day of the festival, King Mahabali visits the earth, and he is welcomed with decorations of rice batter on the doorstep of every home in Kerala. Onam Sadya, a platter of traditional local cuisine is prepared and served to family members and guests. People come back to home during this time of the year to observe the auspicious festival together.