The Thiruvonam day of the first Malayalam month Chingam is a special day for all Malayalees within and outside the state. In a way,
Onam can be said to be a New Year Festival, Spring Festival and also a Harvest Festival.
Heard of the legend about Onam? Once there ruled an Asura king called Mahabali.
He ruled the three worlds - land, sea, heaven. There was no poverty and injustice in his kingdom. There was prosperity and harmony everywhere.
The Onam songs speak of the wealth, prosperity and happiness of that period. Here is one such song ……
|
|
tIcf¯n\I¯pw ]pd¯papÅ aebmfnIÄ¡p hfsc hntijs¸« Hcp ZnhkamWv aebmfamkw Nn§¯nse XncpthmW\mÄ. AómWv tIcfobcpsS tZiotbmÕhamb HmWw. Hcp Xc¯nð ]dªmð aebmfnIfpsS Bïv ]nd¸pÕhhpw hnfshSp¸pÕhhpw hkt´mÕhhpw Hs¡ HmWamWv.
HmW¯n\p]nónepÅ IYbdnbmtam? ]ïv Hcp AkpcN{IhÀ¯nbmb alm_en kzÀKhpw `qanbpw ]mXmfhpw AS¡n [À½\njvTtbmsS \mSphmWncpóp. A¡me¯v \m«nse§pw Zmcn{Zytam Akam[m\tam Zp:Jtam Dïmbncpónñ.
|
The Devas were jealous of the happiness and prosperity of Mahabali's kingdom. But they were sure that they cannot beat Mahabali in a just and fair manner. So they sought the help of Lord MahaVishnu. He decided to take the form of Vamana.
|
|
amthen \mSp hmWoSpw Imew
am\pjscñmcpw Hópt]mse
BtamZt¯msS hkn¡pw Imew
B]¯§mÀ¡psam«nñXm\pw
Iffhpanñ NXnbpanñ
FtÅmfanñ s]mfnhN\w
Iff¸dbpw sNdp\mgnbpw
Iůc§Ä asämópanñ.
|
When Mahabali asked Vamana what alms he sought, Vamana replied he would like as much ground as he could cover with three footsteps.
Mahabali agreed to his wish. Lord Vishnu covered the land and seas with one step and heaven with the second. Mahabali recognized the presence of the Lord and offered his head as the ground for Vamana's third step. Mahabali was thus subjugated and sent to the underworld.
However because he was a fair and just king who loved his subjects, he could return once a year to check on the welfare of his people. Thus Onam is celebrated every year to welcome Mahabali, the good demon king of Kerala.
Onam is a festival of festive celebrations. New clothes are bought on this day and people indulge themselves in dances and sports. The number of days of the festival range from four to ten days, depending on the region.
The children and the youth join in the mirth of the season and set about collecting flowers early morning to decorate the yards of their houses for the 10 days of the festival starting from Atham to Thiruvonam.
The native flower carpet known as 'Onappookkalam' is the highlight of the decoration.
|
|
C§s\ \m«nð A\mNmc§sfmópw CñmsX \mSp\osf k´pãnbpw kp`n£Xbpw \ndªncpóp. CXp Iï tZhòmÀ Akqbmep¡fmbn. ]t£ [Àabp²¯nð alm_ensb Pbn¡m³ AhÀ¡p Ignbpambncpónñ. AXpsImïv AhÀ almhnjvWphns\ A`bw
{]m]n¨p. At±lw hma\\mbn AhXcn¨v aqóp temI§fpw IcØam¡m³ XoÀ¨bm¡n.
`qanbnð AhXcn¨ B hma\³ Zm\ioe\mb alm_enbpsS kón[nbnð sNóv X\n¡v X]Êp sN¿m³ aqóSn Øew thWsaóv bmNn¨p.
DSs\Xsó BImiw aps« hfÀó `oamImc\mb B hma\aqÀ¯n {XntemI§fpw cïSnsImïv AfsóSp¯n«v aqómas¯ ASn¡v Øew FhnsS Fóp tNmZn¨p. At¸mÄ alm_en hma\\v Xsâ Xe Ip\n¨p ImWn¨psImSp¯p. hma\³ alm_enbpsS Xebnð Imðsh¨v At±ls¯ ]mXmf¯ntem«v Ab¨p. B kµÀ`¯nð alm_en hma\t\mSv Hcp hcw At]£n¨p. Xm³ hmÕeyt¯msS `cn¨ncpó Xsó kvt\ln¨v Xónð hnizmkw AÀ¸n¨ {]PIsf Bïnð Hcp XhW hóp ImWphm³ A\phZn¡Wsaómbncpóp At±l¯nsâAt]£. almhnjvWphmbncpó hma\³ AX\phZn¨p. CX\pkcn¨v BïptXmdpw Nn§amk¯nse XncpthmW\mÄ alm_en \mSpImWm³ hcpóp FómWv
k¦ð]w. tIcfobÀ B kabw ]ïpïmbncpó kar²nbpw k´pãnbpw {]ZÀin¸n¨v At±ls¯ kð¡cn¡m\mbn XncpthmWw BtLmjn¡póp.
Dñmk\nÀ`camWv HmW\mfpIÄ. sIt¦aamb HmWkZy Fñm hoSpIfnepw \S¯nbncpóp. ho«papä§Ä ]q¡f§fmð Ae¦cn¡s¸«ncpóp.
HmWt¡mSnIfpSp¯v B_mehr²w P\§fpw BÀ¯pñkn¨ncpóp. HmW¯ñpw Xp¼nXpÅepw hÅwIfnbpw Duªmem«hpw tIcfob P\XbpsS HmW¡me hnt\mZ§fmbncpóp.
CsXms¡ ]gb IY. P\kwJybpw PohnXs¨ehpw hÀ²n¨ Cu b{´bpK¯nð GXpÕhambmepw A{Xsbms¡ hn]peamb coXnbnð BtLmjn¡m³ km[n¡ptam? F¦nepw amthen aós\ kzoIcn¡m\pÅ A¯¸q¡fw Hcp¡m\pw Iq«nIÄ¡mSn¸mSn ckn¡m³ DuªmenSm\pw, Ignbpó hn[¯nð hn`hkar²amb Hcp kZy XncpthmWZnhkw \S¯m\pwaebmfnIÄ Hcn¡epw aSn ImWn¡pIbnñ. ]pdw \mSpIfnepÅ aebmfnIÄ \m«nð hcphm\pÅ Ahkcw HmW¡met¯¡v \o¡nsh¨ncn¡pw. GsX¦nepw ImcWhimð HmW¯n\v \m«nð hcm³ Xcs¸Sm¯hÀ X§Ä Xmakn¡pó Øe§fnð kaqlkZybpw hnhn[ Iem]cn]mSnIfpw kwLSn¸n¨p
Xr]vXns¸Spóp. CXns\ms¡ ]pdta kÀ¡mcnsâ hIbmb HmWmtLmjhpw C¡me¯p ImWmw. kwØm\sa§pw \mS³ Iem]cn]mSnIÄ kwLSn¸n¡pI, XncpthmWZnhkw Pnñm XeØm\§fnsems¡ \nd¸In«mÀó tLmjbm{X Hcp¡pI,
hnhn[ hnt\mZ IemaÕc§Ä \S¯pI Fón§s\bpÅ ]cn]mSnIÄ kÀ¡mcnsâ HmWmtLmjNS§pIfnð DÄs¸Spóp.
]cnØnXnIfpsS k½À±w aqew ]gb ]e DÕh§fpw BNmc§fpw ssIhnSm³ \nÀ_ÔnXcmbsb¦nepw Hmtcm aebmfn¡pw HmWw Fó ]Zw Cu b{´bpK¯nepw Ft´m a{´iànbpÅXmWv.
|
