India's Onam Festival — India's Onam Festival

Hey there Creatives!

A new day and a new culture to learn!

This must have been my first inter-culture immersion with the Indian community… but the company’s Onam celebration falls on my comp-off schedule. Although I won’t be there to join the festivities, I’d like to share a little history about this festival.

I haven’t attempted to search it on Google, instead I’m sharing it straight from what I’ve heard – a raw storytelling from my co-worker Ria. :)

So basically the story comes from this mythical king – King Mahabali who happens to be very popular and thus the people honors him like God. Somehow this situation has reached and made Lord Vishnu jealous. So He has decided to use another avatar – a dwarf and pretended to be someone who can grant wishes. So the Lord (dwarf) met the King and granted him 3 wishes.

His first 2 wishes were to make the land 3 feet higher and the clouds to be 3 feet lower. These wishes were granted in the sense that the “3 feet” for Lord Vishnu’s height is something unimaginable! 3 feet down and 3 feet above would mean – to actually cover the whole earth, thus sending King Mahabali in the netherworld.

As the 2 wished we’re done, and with King Mahabali underground – he then asked for his last wish. That is to go out every year on earth to meet his people.

Therefore ONAM festival is belief to be a celebration for the good harvest and that the king visits his people. :)

So, that’s how the story goes. Of course there are version of that, but for now – that’s what I could share.

A few of our lady colleagues have been practicing a dance presentation called Thiruvathira. Again, I will miss it. But for sure there will be photos and videos.

Since I was off last Thursday, I’ll be updating this post with the photos they’ve taken here in the office.

For now, I just want to greet my Keralite friends, HAPPY ONAM!