Onam 2025: How Malayalis Are Planning To Celebrate The Festival During This Pandemic

Onam is a very special occasion for all the Malayali folks out there. The festival is symbolic of a good harvest and celebrations continue for ten days. However, with the ongoing pandemic, the Government of Kerala has taken extra measures to prove that being in quarantine, won’t dampen the joy of the age-old, much-loved festival. Rather than turn a blind eye towards any celebrations, the government released multiple PSAs and asked people to celebrate indoors rather than have large celebrations. They’ve advised people to value safety over tradition this year so that they can have a glorious celebration the next. Here’s how Kerala is setting a brilliant example for the world to follow:

“Happy Coronam”

Malayali youth are very active on social media and a content creator named Suvi Vijay shared an animation he had participated in making for the online platform. The hilarious and super cute video went viral almost instantaneously and has received almost one lakh likes on Instagram. The video features a big-bellied, jovial Maveli visiting Kerala during the COVID Pandemic. Unbeknownst to him, it isn’t right to roam around without a mask in public and he proceeds to dance and bask in merriment instead. The video cuts to Maveli sneezing on the camera and then being joined by healthcare workers in full PPE gear. The workers dance around Maveli, wrap him up in gauze, make him wear a face mask, and take him away in the hospital van. The hilarious video ends with “Happy Coronum” and credits the team behind it. You can watch it here.

Why Do Malayalis Celebrate Onam?

According to Onam legend, King Maveli (or Mahabali) is a very important figure in Kerala’s culture and beliefs. Even if he was an Asura King, Maveli was a very generous and loving ruler. His people loved him and respected him as he kept showering them with prosperity and care. According to the legend, King Mahabali had amrita (nectar for immortality) which made him invincible. During a clash between the devas and asuras, even though Mahabali was killed, he was brought back to life because of this. Hence, the devas approached Lord Vishnu to get rid of him. Lord Vishnu being the master of tricks and mischiefs, re-incarnated as Vamana, a poor Brahmin boy and requested the generous king for a small piece of land that would cover 3 feet.

When Maveli happily agreed to this, all of a sudden little Vamana grew larger than the earth. He took the first step and covered all of the earth and with his next step he covered the entire sky. When asked where to take the third step, Maveli had no choice but to break his promise. However, because of his generosity, and his unwillingness to take back his word, Maveli requested Vamana to keep the last step on his head. This way, Maveli was kicked down into the earth. But, when he got to know that the little boy was Lord Vishnu himself, Maveli asked for a last wish and this was to visit his folks in Kerala every year. Hence, to celebrate the sacrifice and love of Maveli, every Malayali celebrates Onam with a flower carpet which is to welcome Maveli into their homes.

Indoor Celebrations

One of the most important temples in Onam mythology is the famous Thrikkakara Temple. It is said to be the place where the King was sunk underground. It was also the abode of the King and the name is derived from the words. “Thiru-Kaal-Kara” which translates to “the place of the holy foot”. The temple is one of the few temples dedicated to the Avatar of Vishnu who caused Maveli to sink underground.

Although the temple will be open to the public, all the major public celebrations have been called off due to the pandemic. The temple will not be organizing an Onam Sadhya this year and all processions have been called off. As per guidelines set in by the government of Kerala, only five people will be allowed to be inside the temple at one time.

Athachamayam is a major cultural part of the Onam celebrations in Kerala and traditionally the parade is held in a small region in the city of Kochi. The Nehru Trophy race that is held in Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha has been postponed indefinitely due to the rising COVID-19 cases in that region. The committee responsible for the popular Aranmula snake boat race is seeking special permission to accommodate 50 people while adhering to social distancing reforms.

How Families Plan On Celebrating This Year

For many young people, this will be a first. But they are eager to celebrate and embrace the festival despite the circumstances not being in their favor. However, they too are planning on adapting to the celebrations while following all the rules. Here’s what Anjali Mohanan had to say when asked how she plans on celebrating the festival, “During this pandemic, it is sad that the celebration will be limited inside our homes and I’ll definitely miss the games and the previous day hasty trips to the flower markets to get the perfect flowers for the flower carpet. However, I believe even during this situation we could still make it special because the important part of this festival is being with your loved ones. So we decided we could do indoor games, get dressed, arrange a flower carpet and not lose the Onam spirit. Besides we won’t miss out on the Onam Sadhya because no celebration is ever complete without good food, right?

Even Malayalis who are living outside the country share similar feelings. “Though the pandemic has cast a black cloud over us, its shadow isn’t over the festivities. My family here and I plan to welcome this festive season wholeheartedly, by adopting necessary precautions and prevention methods. It’s definitely hard not being in Kerala during this season,” said Trilok who is living in Kuwait currently.

Government Regulations

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a meeting with his cabinet members and discussed rules and regulations that they would be encouraging. He stated, “Onam celebrations this time should be limited inside the homes. The floral carpet should be made with locally available flowers as we cannot risk the spread of COVID-19 from flowers brought from other regions.” According to the Chief Minister, the main focus right now should be to curb the spread of COVID and reduce the death rate of the state. People have been advised to avoid non-essential travel, public gatherings, and sadhyas, maintain strict social distancing, avoid malls and big markets, and to adhere to many more rules.

Currently, the state has one of the highest recovery rates in the country and has managed to be quite successful in tackling the virus spread despite its large population. The state currently has around 65,000 cases and around 41,000 recoveries. On the other hand, India stands as one of the top three countries with the highest number of recorded COVID cases. Only the USA and Brazil sit atop India’s position. India currently has recorded around 3 million cases and 2 million recoveries.

While the festival is usually brought in with much aplomb, people have understood that this is a dire situation and they have to be as vigilant as possible. So tell us how you plan on bringing in Onam celebrations this year while adhering to the government’s regulations?

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Niharika NayakBA (Media & Communication)

 

Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing video games, and hanging out with stray animals.

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