WONDERFUL ONAM TO ALL MY DEAR FRIENDS AND THEIR FAMILIES. MAY THE ATMOSPHERE OF CELEBRATION PREVAIL IN YOUR HOMES AND SURROUNDINGS.
Onam is one of the most important festivals of Kerala. Its a festival of devotion, great feasts, entertainments, competitions in sports, games and fine arts etc. Everyone, however poor he might be, is supposed to be fully going into Onam celebrations. There is a saying to the effect that one has to celebrate Onam even if he has to sell his properties. Traditionally Onam is a 28 days festival starting on the Athham (Hasta) star of the Malayalam month Chingam (Tamil Avani). As per the Lunar calendar which is followed in India outside of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Onam celebration falls in the month of Bhadrapada. Now a days the celebration is at the most for five days during which the educational institutions remain closed in Kerala. The most important day during this festival is on the star Thiruvonam (Shravanam).
The Onam legend has its origin in the Vamana avatara story of the Puranas (Part of Hindu sacred lore). The essentials of the story is the Asura (demon) King Mahabali, a great devotee of God Vishnu was a just ruler fully interested in the welfare of his subjects; but becomes egoistic. Vishnu incarnates as Vamana (dwarf) and approaches Emperor Bali and asks for land that can be measured with three steps of the former. Bali's ego raises its head as can be seen from his reply to Vamana. "Why are you asking for so little? I can give you much more in terms of land and riches. ANYONE ACCEPTING GIFT FROM ME SHOULD NEVER NEED TO TAKE HELP FROM ANOTHER". But as Vamana sticks to his modest request, Bali is ready to grant it. Shukracharya, Emperor Bali's guru, realizes that Vamana is Vishnu Himself and warns the king not to grant the request. Bali says that he will never withdraw from the decision he has made (rigidity, product of ego) and asks Vamana to measure the land required with his feet. Vamana increases his size and with one step covers the entire earth. With another step he covers the heaven and nether world. Now Bali has nothing and so cannot fulfill his promise. By seeing Vamana's cosmic form Bali's eyes are opened and he realizes that there is nothing that can be called his own. It was by the blessings of God Vishnu that he attained all the glories and now the Lord has taken it back. With this realization he offers himself to the Lord and prays that the third step may be put on his own head. Vamana is pleased with Bali's surrender and his steadfastness in truth and blesses him. Bali is sent to Sutala, a wonderful world into which even Indra and other inhabitants of heaven have no entry. Moreover there are no death or diseases or fear of enemy attacks there. Also Bali would attain Indrahood at a future date. Bali also becomes one of the seven immortals in the Hindu faith.
From the above story three legends have arisen. In the state of Kerala, the version is Bali requests Vamana that he should be allowed to visit his subjects once a year and the request is granted and the former returns to earth during Onam time. In another legend which existed in the state of Tamil Nadu more than 1600 years ago, people pray to Vamana to send Bali to the earth once a year and he returns during Onam (Onam used to be celebrated in ancient Tamil Nadu 1600yrs ago but not now a days). In the third legend, prevalent in the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra, Bali is visiting the earth on the day after Deepavali.
Now I'll discuss some of the misunderstandings and distortions (Out of ignorance/wishful thinking/both) of the Vamana-Bali story. 1. Bali was stomped down into the nether world: No where in the Puranas there is mention about this. On the other hand Bali was raised to a better position than before. Its not clear how and when this misinterpretation arose.
2. Vamana subduing Bali's ego is misinterpreted as Aryans conquering Dravidians. But as per the Puranas Bali was the great great grand son of Rishi Kashyapa who was the father of both devas (inhabitants of heaven) and asuras. Vamana took birth as the son of Kashyapa and Aditi (the mother of devas). So both Vamana and Mahabali belonged to the same race. The 19th century Bishop Caldwell of Madras (today's Chennai) is believed by many to be the distorter in this case.
3. From the early eighties I have been hearing certain politicians of Kerala speaking publically that Vamana-Maha Bali story is that of the high castes suppressing the lower castes. But as per the Puranas both of them were cousins. Moreover Bali belonged to the ruling caste who used to perform yagas. So in no count he can be treated as a lower caste man. Sadly these politicians want to ignite the caste feelings for their personal gains without the least consideration for the truth. Otherwise they would have gone through the Puranic accounts which are the primary sources for this story.
4. Another lie in circulation these days is the last Chera ruler of Kerala known as Cheraman Perumal of 9th century got converted to Islam and went to Mecca and Onam started being celebrated in that memory. But Onam celebrations were already there centuries before the advent of Mohammad and Islam. Maduraikanji, Tolkappiyam and Chilappathikaram, all of which are1600-2000 years old Tamil works mention Onam being celebrated in Madurai area ruled by Pandian Kings. The festival was born out of Maha Bali- Vamana story. It was a ten days festival in which gifts were distributed to artists, artisans, warriors, poets etc; almost similar to modern Onam celebrations. It is most likely that either Onam celebrations were going on in Kerala also at the same time or adopted not much later.
5. Attempts are made in the present day Kerala by some self proclaimed intellectuals to detach Vamana story from the Onam festival. They claim that Mahabali or Maveli was a Kerala ruler who was very popular with the people. The Vamana story was included in the Onam festival not more than two centuries ago. Of course they don't have even an iota of evidence for their claims but their fantasies in the light of existence of Vaman -Bali legends out side Kerala. Moreover as per another legend Kerala was reclaimed from the sea by Parashurama and Bali was ruling much before him. Bali's yaga in which Vamana was present took place in Kurukshetra according to some Puranas and in Bhrigukachha (modern Broach in Gujerat) on the Banks of Narmada according to others. The more plausible explanations of the Vamana-Bali legend in Kerala are: a. The people who had these legends came and settled down in Kerala and b. The Keralites adopted the story from neighboring Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. Maduraikanji mentioned earlier says that Thiruvonam is the birth star of Mayon (One of the Tamil Names for Vishnu; Vamana in this instance). Therefore according to available earliest available sources Onam is inseparable from the Vamana story.
6. Another fable scripted by the above self proclaimed intellectuals is Onam is only a harvest festival and Vamana legend is a later interpolation because compared to the festivity part, the religious aspect is in much smaller percentage. But that again is another of their fantasies. Of course Onam is also a harvest festival; it is also a spring festival. But these do not make it purely secular. Every Hindu festival has a spiritual aspect also. It is the same with Onam too. The spiritual aspect in Onam is Mahabali's surrender to Vamana (God). The spiritual lesson is, by surrendering to God one reaches the highest state like Maha Bali. I would like to draw attention of these 'intellectuals' to an analogy. The Christmas celebration has very little spiritual content compared to its festivities. There is also the belief that Santa Claus visits the earth every year during Xmas. He is believed to bring gifts to the children. In the earlier incarnation of Santa as the Xmas father the European Christians used to be waiting to invite him to their houses. Because of all these would you 'intellectuals' claim that the real Xmas is all about the arrival of Santa Claus and the Jesus' birth story in it is a later interpolation for the purpose of domination of the people by the clergy?
2. Vamana subduing Bali's ego is misinterpreted as Aryans conquering Dravidians. But as per the Puranas Bali was the great great grand son of Rishi Kashyapa who was the father of both devas (inhabitants of heaven) and asuras. Vamana took birth as the son of Kashyapa and Aditi (the mother of devas). So both Vamana and Mahabali belonged to the same race. The 19th century Bishop Caldwell of Madras (today's Chennai) is believed by many to be the distorter in this case.
3. From the early eighties I have been hearing certain politicians of Kerala speaking publically that Vamana-Maha Bali story is that of the high castes suppressing the lower castes. But as per the Puranas both of them were cousins. Moreover Bali belonged to the ruling caste who used to perform yagas. So in no count he can be treated as a lower caste man. Sadly these politicians want to ignite the caste feelings for their personal gains without the least consideration for the truth. Otherwise they would have gone through the Puranic accounts which are the primary sources for this story.
4. Another lie in circulation these days is the last Chera ruler of Kerala known as Cheraman Perumal of 9th century got converted to Islam and went to Mecca and Onam started being celebrated in that memory. But Onam celebrations were already there centuries before the advent of Mohammad and Islam. Maduraikanji, Tolkappiyam and Chilappathikaram, all of which are1600-2000 years old Tamil works mention Onam being celebrated in Madurai area ruled by Pandian Kings. The festival was born out of Maha Bali- Vamana story. It was a ten days festival in which gifts were distributed to artists, artisans, warriors, poets etc; almost similar to modern Onam celebrations. It is most likely that either Onam celebrations were going on in Kerala also at the same time or adopted not much later.
5. Attempts are made in the present day Kerala by some self proclaimed intellectuals to detach Vamana story from the Onam festival. They claim that Mahabali or Maveli was a Kerala ruler who was very popular with the people. The Vamana story was included in the Onam festival not more than two centuries ago. Of course they don't have even an iota of evidence for their claims but their fantasies in the light of existence of Vaman -Bali legends out side Kerala. Moreover as per another legend Kerala was reclaimed from the sea by Parashurama and Bali was ruling much before him. Bali's yaga in which Vamana was present took place in Kurukshetra according to some Puranas and in Bhrigukachha (modern Broach in Gujerat) on the Banks of Narmada according to others. The more plausible explanations of the Vamana-Bali legend in Kerala are: a. The people who had these legends came and settled down in Kerala and b. The Keralites adopted the story from neighboring Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. Maduraikanji mentioned earlier says that Thiruvonam is the birth star of Mayon (One of the Tamil Names for Vishnu; Vamana in this instance). Therefore according to available earliest available sources Onam is inseparable from the Vamana story.
6. Another fable scripted by the above self proclaimed intellectuals is Onam is only a harvest festival and Vamana legend is a later interpolation because compared to the festivity part, the religious aspect is in much smaller percentage. But that again is another of their fantasies. Of course Onam is also a harvest festival; it is also a spring festival. But these do not make it purely secular. Every Hindu festival has a spiritual aspect also. It is the same with Onam too. The spiritual aspect in Onam is Mahabali's surrender to Vamana (God). The spiritual lesson is, by surrendering to God one reaches the highest state like Maha Bali. I would like to draw attention of these 'intellectuals' to an analogy. The Christmas celebration has very little spiritual content compared to its festivities. There is also the belief that Santa Claus visits the earth every year during Xmas. He is believed to bring gifts to the children. In the earlier incarnation of Santa as the Xmas father the European Christians used to be waiting to invite him to their houses. Because of all these would you 'intellectuals' claim that the real Xmas is all about the arrival of Santa Claus and the Jesus' birth story in it is a later interpolation for the purpose of domination of the people by the clergy?
