Onam

When: Typically in Kerala, India during August - September; the main day falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam.

Where: Nationwide across Kerala, with major public events on the backwaters around Alappuzha and city programmes in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.

Cost: Most community events and decorations are free to watch; paid seats are sometimes sold for snake-boat races and restaurants charge for Onasadya feasts.

Don’t miss: The Pookalam flower carpets, the multi-course Onasadya feast, Pulikali tiger dances and the Vallamkali (snake-boat) races on the backwaters.

Onam is the principal harvest festival of Kerala in India, celebrating homecoming, prosperity and the legendary King Mahabali. It blends Hindu myth with rural agrarian traditions and is observed by people of many faiths as a cultural season of reunion and gratitude.

Across towns and villages you will find households arranging intricate pookalam flower carpets at entrances, communities rehearsing classical and folk dances, temples staging special pujas and marketplaces selling seasonal sweets. Major public attractions include Pulikali tiger-dance displays in city centres and the boat-race spectacles on the backwaters around Alappuzha; big-city civic shows and processions appear in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.

Onam falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (usually August - September) and the festival is movable in the Gregorian calendar; the climactic day is Thiruvonam, set by the Thiruvonam nakshatra. Dates vary each year, so check the current-year calendar before you travel.

Traditional observance builds over several days - families create a new pookalam each day, cultural programmes run throughout the period, and the final day features the grand Onasadya feast and the most important public events, including many of the snake-boat races.

Fly into Kochi (Cochin International Airport, COK) or Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) depending on where you plan to stay; both are well connected internationally and domestically. From airports, trains and state buses reach towns across Kerala; hire a taxi to reach backwater venues like Alappuzha. Arrive 2 - 3 days before Thiruvonam and book accommodation, race viewing tickets and Onasadya reservations well in advance.

• Respect temple and household etiquette: remove shoes, dress modestly and avoid loud behaviour during rituals.
• Use your right hand for eating and accepting food; if invited to an Onasadya, wait to be shown where to sit.
• Expect hot, humid weather and occasional showers - pack lightweight clothes, a rain jacket, sunscreen and insect repellent.
• Boat-race venues get crowded; follow marshals’ instructions, keep a safe distance from the water and avoid boarding boats unless authorised.
• Book accommodation, popular Onasadya restaurants and any official race seating at least several weeks ahead during peak years.
• Try to join small community events (pookalam-making, dance shows) respectfully - ask permission before photographing people in costume.