Every year Sri
Sathya Sai Seva Organisation,Kerala
organises the Onam festival at Prasanthi Nilayam with great
devotional fervor. The entire Mandir would be aesthetically decorated and wears
a festive look. The Onam festival will be celebrated for about four days with
the entire Sai family from Kerala and from around the world making it to the
Lotus Feet of Swami.
The festivities begin in Sai Kulwant Hall with Mangala Vadyam by well-known
Nadaswara Vidwans in the Divine Presence of Bhagawan Baba. Thereafter, Sai
Kulwant Hall reverberates with NadaswaraVadyam and Pancha Vadyam music on all
subsequent days of celebration.
Cultural programmes by the Balvikas Children from the state of Kerala would mark
the festivities. On the day of Onam Bhagawan would be received in a traditional
Procession from Poornachandra Hall with Poorna Kumbam amidst vedam chanting
Bhagawan blesses the gathering with His Divine Message exhorting the devotees to
emulate and imbibe the sacrificial qualities of Emperor Bali . The four-day
festivities transform Prasanthi Nilayam into Kerala what with the entire Kerala
assembling at Prasanthi Nilayam for Divine Blessings on the auspicious day.
Emperor Bali performed the action of supreme surrender to Lord Indra at the end
of the battle by offering him all his possessions, body, mind and soul on this
day in the sacred land of Kerala. The battle between Bali and Indra represents
the mind battling to control the senses. Vamana opened Bali's eyes to help him
realize the Divine and Bali sought a boon from the Lord that He should visit
Kerala every year on this day of Shravan. This day is celebrated as Onam by
Keralites. This day also extols the merits of gifts, renunciation, charity,
however little, to any one, for all are reflections of God Onam is the harvest
festival of Kerala. On this day, homage is paid to their illustrious king Bali,
who had surrendered himself to the mighty little god Vamana. It is believed that
Bali re-visits his empire that day. It is an enchanting sight to see the
Keralites in their traditional dress offering their worship to the Lord. They
are blessed with the privilege of touching the lotus feet. Swami graces the
occasion and showers his blessings on them. source:
srisathyasai.org.in
Onam: The Harvest Festival, is the
most popular festival of Kerala. A festival that celebrates a happy blend of
myth and reality, Onam is part of the cultural repertoire of every Malayalee.
Year after year, for centuries, the people of Kerala, irrespective of caste,
creed or colour, join together to celebrate Onam. The ten-day Onam festival
falls in August-September, coinciding with the beginning of the harvest season.
According to local belief, in a war that took place between the gods and the
demons, the demons won. Deeply hurt by the defeat of the gods, Aditi, their
mother prayed to Lord Vishnu to destroy Mahabali, the Demon King. Consequently,
Lord Vishnu, in the guise of a Brahmin boy, Vamanan, went to Mahabali and asked
him to grant him three steps of land. The wish was granted and Vamanan covered
the whole land with his two steps and then he came back to the King asking him
where can he place the third step. The King to honour his word, offered his head
as the third step. Vamanan pushed Mahabali deep down into the earth. Pleased by
his honesty and generosity, the lord in turn granted him a wish that he could
visit his kingdom and people on a particular day once a year. Preparation of a
floral carpet called "Athappookkalam" in front of houses, from the first day of
'Atham' to the tenth day of 'Thiruvonam' is part of the festivities, which is a
symbolic gesture to welcome King Mahabali. The state government conducts Tourism
Week celebrations in connection with Onam, showcasing the gems of Kerala's
culture. Onam resonates with Carnivals, Boat Races, Dance, Music and Feast. A
sumptious meal on plantain leaf and the traditional sweet dish of Kerala
'Payasam' etc are served in every house.
The Bhagwat Purana (ancient Hindu scriptures) tells the engrossing story of
Mahabali. He was a noble and virtuous king. Although he was an asur (demon)
king, he was known far and wide for his generosity and good sense. It is said
that if a person asked Mahabali for something, he never returned disappointed.
The story goes that once Mahabali decided to perform the Ashvamedha Yagna (a
horse-sacrifice in order to be proclaimed the most powerful and distinguished
king in the three worlds – heaven, earth and the nether world). The devtas
(gods) felt especially threatened by this ritual for as noble as Mahabali could
be, he was after all an asur. The devtas rushed to Lord Vishnu (the Preserver in
the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) imploring him to rein
Mahabali in.
The Interesting Tale of Mahabali And The Dwarf
These are celestial matters and we should leave the gods to work in their own
mysterious ways. Coming back to Mahabali and the elaborate preparations of the
Yagna; the venue of the Yagna was to be the banks of the holy Narmada River. It
is believed that while Mahabali was proceeding to Narmada, a charming little boy
holding an umbrella stopped him. Seeing the boy who was actually a dwarf,
Mahabali realised that this was no ordinary fellow. Mesmerised, he told the
dwarf to ask him for anything he desired. The dwarf simply asked him for the
measure of area he would cover in three strides. Taken aback by such a trivial
wish, Mahabali asked him to demand something more substantial. The dwarf did not
change his mind and again repeated his wish. Mahabali had little choice but to
agree. The dwarf assumed his original self – Lord Vishnu who had appeared in his
fifth avatar or manifestation (the fifth reincarnation of Vishnu in the form of
a dwarf is called Vamana).
Assuming gargantuan proportions, he took his first step on earth, the second
foot was leisurely placed on the heavens and well, you could say that not much
was left for the third step! So Mahabali, the magnanimous king that he was, rose
to the occasion and offered his head for the last stride of the Almighty. Vishnu
promptly obliged, thus pushing Mahabali into the realms of the nether world.
Moved by the nobility of this demon king, Vishnu proclaimed that even after
losing every worldly possession, Mahabali would earn eternal wisdom and the love
and affection of Vishnu. Mahabali accepted his fate unflinchingly and only asked
for one wish in return. This wish, more than anything, proved how worthy a king
he was. He asked for the chance to come back to his cherished land and people at
least once a year. It is believed that since that day, Mahabali comes every year
to visit this sun-dappled land of coconuts and his beloved people. This day is
called Onam.
Onam falls, on the 12th day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Bhadon
(around August September) once the golden yellow rice fields have been harvested
at that time of the year. There is no specific god associated with Onam. Neither
is any special puja (a ritualistic prayer ceremony) performed.
The celebrations of Onam start ten days before the big day. The first thing
people do is decorate the gates or main doors of their homes. No balloons or
festoons for these folks. They adorn their homes and gates with fresh branches
of red coconut (red coconut is considered auspicious on Onam), banana leaves and
coconut fronds.
If you happen to be in Kerala around Onam, you will see banana and coconut
fronds just about everywhere, sometimes even popping out of trucks and buses or
tied to the horns of the neighbourhood cow, all with a pinch of the auspicious
vermilion powder.
The first day of Onam is called Attam. Women get up earlier than usual, have a
bath, wear fresh clothes (women wear off-white cotton saris with a zari border
on festive occasions), neatly pin strings of jasmine and other seasonal flowers
in their long black tresses and adorn themselves with jewellery. Children get
dressed and go to the market to buy flowers and flower petals which they bring
back to their mothers and sisters. The ‘mummies’ prepare a small part of the
ground on the eastern side of the house (east is considered sacred because the
sun rises in the east and Hindus have worshipped the rising sun since time
immemorial).
The Attam
The House Yards are smoothened out, and cow dung spread evenly on it. Flowers
are placed over this patch in beautiful patterns. These patterns are generally
circular and a lump of cow dung is placed in the centre symbolising Ganesha (the
elephant-headed god - see Ganesh Chaturthi).
The creation with dung and flowers is called Attam. Once the Attam is completed,
the women sing songs in praise of Mahabali and perform a lovely dance of simple
but graceful steps around it.
The Attam is considered very sacred and a fresh decoration is made everyday till
Onam. The old decoration is not removed, instead the cow dung is moistened with
water, then a thin layer is spread over the Attam and a new pattern is made.
People sing and dance around the Attam everyday and remember Mahabali, who
perhaps watches them from somewhere. These days, community Attam where all the
members of a community come together and rejoice around the sacred spot, is
becoming quite popular. These very members take turns to keep a constant vigil
over the Attam.
On the third day, people hold big feasts in their homes and invite their
relatives and friends. The feast is strictly vegetarian and consists of rice,
which is eaten with various curries, curds, vegetables, crisps, pickles, and
sweets (see Cuisine).
organises the Onam festival at Prasanthi Nilayam with great
devotional fervor. The entire Mandir would be aesthetically decorated and wears
a festive look. The Onam festival will be celebrated for about four days with
the entire Sai family from Kerala and from around the world making it to the
Lotus Feet of Swami.