Onam & Vamana Jayanthi

Thiruvonam ,Popularly known as Onam is a harvest festival of Kerala and is one of three major annual Hindu celebrations along with Vishu and Thiruvathira. It is the official state festival of Kerala and the Celebrations extends for 10 days starting from ‘Atham’ day in the month of ‘Chingam’ month (as per the ‘Kollavarsha’ calendar ) to the day of ‘Thiruvonam’. Households all across Kerala awaits this Carnival by arranging Pookkalam (Floral Rangoli) every day in their courtyard.

Onam celebrations are marked in Trikkakara, a place 10 km from Kochi (Cochin) on the Edapally- Pookattupadi road. A temple with a deity of ‘Trikkakara Appan’ or ‘Vamanamurthy’ who is Lord Vishnu himself in disguise is also located at this place. Nowhere else in Kerala can one find a deity of ‘Vamanamurthy’. And symbolically Keralites recalls Thrikkakkara Appan/Onathappan using a pyramid like structure which is kept at the centre of the Pookkalam.

Apart from the Pookkalam, Onam celebrations include Vallam Kali ( Snake boat races), Pulikali (tiger dances), Onam Kalis (games) like Tug of War, Onathallu (wrestling and arm fisting), Thumbi Thullal (women’s dance), Kummattikali (mask dance), Onavillu and Onappattu(music and folk songs), Kazhchakkula (plantain offerings), Onapottan and Onakkodi (costumes), Atthachamayam (folk songs and dance) and a lot more in the different terrains of the state.

The Popular myth behind Onam refers to the welcoming of Mahabali , the mighty emperor of yesteryears ,who visits his Praja every year to oversee their welfare and wellbeing.

“The legend says that the beautiful state of Kerala was once ruled by an Asura (demon) king, Mahabali. The King was greatly respected in his kingdom and was considered to be wise, judicious and extremely generous. Everybody was happy in the kingdom. Rich and poor were equally treated. There was neither crime, nor corruption. People did not even lock their doors, as there were no thieves in that kingdom. There was no poverty, sorrow or disease in the reign of King Mahabali and everybody was happy and content.

Looking at the growing popularity and fame of King Mahabali Gods became extremely concerned and jealous. They felt threatened about their own supremacy and began to think of a strategy to get rid of the dilemma. To curb the growing reign of Mahabali and maintain their own supremacy, Aditi, the mother of Gods sought help of Lord Vishnu (the preserver in the Hindu trinity) whom Mahabali worshiped.

To test the king and find solutions to the concerns of the Devas, Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a dwarf and a poor Brahmin called Vamana. He came to the Kingdom just after Mahabali performed his morning prayers and was preparing to grant boons to Brahmins. Disguised as Vamana, Vishnu said he was a poor Brahmin and asked for a piece of land. The generous King said, he could have as much land as he wanted. The Brahmin said that he just wanted as much land as could be covered by his three steps. The King was surprised to hear but agreed. Just as King Mahabali agreed to grant the land, Vamana began to expand and eventually increased himself to the size of cosmic proportions. With his first step the Brahmin boy covered the whole of earth and with the other step he covered the whole of the skies. He then asked Mahabali where is the space for him to keep his third foot. Mahabali with folded hands bowed before Vamana and asked him to place his last step on his head so that he could keep the promise. The Brahmin placed his foot on the head of the King, which pushed him to patala, the nether world. Seeing the true identity of the Brahmin, Mahabali requests for a boon that he needs to visit and enquire the praja once every year. And it is popularly believed that Onam is the day when Mahabali visits his Kingdom. ”

However, there are debates and differences among historians and scholars over this myth as the references of Bali in the Hindu scriptures of Puranas leaves us a slightly different myth altogether about King MahaBali. And Vedacharyas and Scholars of the Puranas opine that Onam is analogous to Vamana jayanti which is popularly celebrated in Ujjain in Madhyapradeshandmany parts of Gujarat,Maharashtra and also in the North eastern states of India.

Vamanajayanti is celebrated on the dwadashi of the shuklapaksha in the month of Bhadrapada according to the Shaka Varsha Calendar commemmorating the day when Bhagawaan Mahavishnu incarnated into the Vamana Avatar.

“The Bhagavathapurana and the Vamanapurana as well depicts the story of Bali ( Indrasena got the name Bali due to his strength or Bal) and Vamana. As per the BhagavathaPurana Bali/Indrasena is the ruler of the Rasathala Kingdom of the Daithyas and Danavas.
After the defeat at the hands of Devas at the Ksheera Sagara Manthanam episode, the Asuras regained strength in the leadership of Bali by conducting Yagas named Vishwajith (conquering the world). With all the might, Bali and the army of Asuras conquered the Bhooloka, Devaloka and Swargaloka thus becoming the Emperor of the Thriloka. However, Bali realized that he couldn’t attain the stature or position of ‘Indhra’ just by conquering the Devaloka and hence he decided to conduct Hundred Yagas to place himself to become the next Indhra. With each Yaga of Bali, the Devas who flee from their kingdom kept losing their power and glory and seeked help from Mahavishnu. Vishnu didn’t want to harm Bali at a war as Bali himself was an ardent Bhakt of him. So Vishnu incarnates as Vamana, the child of Kashyap muni and Aditi Mata and decides to meet Bali on the occasion of the final Mahayaga of Bali. Thus Vamana, the Balabrahmachari, meets Bali at a place called Brighu Kacham ,the Yaga bhoomi, and asks Bali for three foot of land. Bali smirks at the request and asks Vamana if all he wants is three foot of land from the mighty ruler of the Three lokas. Vamana replies that he would be satisfied with what he asked for. Seeing this the guru of Bali, Shulracharya realizes who Vamana actually was and tries to convince Bali not to give three foots of land. However Bali responds that generally people go to the Lord asking for help and here his Lord Mahavishnu has come to him asking for three small foot of Land which he would definitely give as Daanam(donation) . And then Vamana takes his cosmic form and covers bhooloka and swarga loka in his first two steps and then Bali realizes his greed to conquer the whole world and bows down to the Lord and Vamana blesses Bali by keeping his legs on Bali’s head and thus Bali becomes Mahabali. Also Vamana, Lord Mahavishnu, blesses Mahabali and crowns him as the king of ‘Sutala’ a world of noble and honest human beings and also promises that he would be given the stature of the Next Indra. ”

It is believed that the day when Lord MahaVishnu takes the Vamana Avatar is celebrated as Vamana Jayanti. Interestingly Brighu Kacham geographically locates to a Kutchi village in the banks of Narmada river in the modern day Gujarat. So the tales of MahaBali , the king of Kerala and Vamana and the legend of Onam contradicts with the ones that the people in Ujjain and several other parts of the country believes in.

Understanding the diversity and vastness of this nation, let us leave the location of the Bali-Vamana meetup to historians and the scholars for debates. And instead, let us celebrate the festivals of Onam and Vamana Jayanti with the appropriate traditions associated with each of them. And in this event of festive mood let us pledge to make our world a land of nobility and honesty like the Sutala or the MaveliNaadu which we commemmorate in this eve of Onam and Vamana Jayanti.