Onam 2017: Your Guide to Celebrating This Auspicious Festival

Here's the ultimate guide to celebrating Onam 2017.It's that time of the year when the nation gears up to relish the culinary brilliance of Kerala. The much awaited 10-day long harvest festival garners an appetite for the traditional Sadhya feasting. There are grand feasts organized in almost corner of the state while the rest of the country looks forward savouring special Sadhya meals served by restaurants.Just in case you are resolved to visit your nearest restaurant serving Onam Sadhya or are invited by a Malayali friend for some authentic feasting, it's time to get your Sadhya eating etiquette in place. A typical Sadhya thali exhibits an array of preparations which can go up to 24 dishes. There is also a scientific reason associated with the manner of plating and starting your meal, and not knowing what is what or from where to start can get you a little flushed in the face. Just before we tell you about the different components of a typical Sadhya meal, here's a little background about the festival, the importance of the grand Sadhya meal and everything under the sun that one should know about the auspicious festival.(All the aromatics and seasonings you need to cook up a masterpiece, get your stock from SmartCooky)Coming home of the Mythical King - MahabaliOnam is a festival that celebrates the annual visit of the mythical king Mahabali who once ruled the modern day Kerala. Every year, in honour of the King, thousands of Malayalis across the world get together to celebrate in all grandeur. Food is usually the centre of all celebrations. The festival also showcases the bountiful harvest of the region, and the locals enjoy four days of state holiday and an overall 10 days of ongoing festivities. From traditional dance, music performances, snake boat races to thorough cleaning, decoration of houses and of course, cooking elaborate meals - there is a sea of activities that are carried out as a way to commemorate the festival.
The Festive EssentialsClothing: Onam celebrations are incomplete without wearing the traditional outfits. Set or kesav sarees (white sarees with golden border) for women and mundu (white dhoti with golden border) for men.The decorations, Athapookalam: Just like every other festival, Onam festivities also call for house cleaning and decorations. You will not find a single Malayali household without flower arrangements, also known as athapookalam. They are beautifully created on the floor outside the houses and are similar to rangolis. There are many pookalam making competition held during this period.