Khud ko kar buland itna,
ki har taqdeer se pehle,
Khuda bandey se khud poochey,
bataa, teri raza kya hai?
(Make yourself so strong that even God comes down to ask of you ‘Pray what do you wish for?’)
This couplet succinctly sums up the reason for the Keralites celebrating Onam. To understand the relevance of Onam, we have to travel back to the Treta yug when the benevolent asura king Mahabali, the grandson of Prahalad, governed Kerala, his kingdom and people. The Devas as their wont were envious of a righteous asura King’s noble deeds and valour. Mahabali was revered by his people and he was akshaya (undefeated) in battle. He was the undisputed ruler of earth and the other worlds. So Devas had to approach Lord Vishnu with their predicament to subdue their mighty opponent. Lord Vishnu was left with no other option but to give into devas’ plea to somehow defeat Mahabali. As Mahabali could not be vanquished in battle, Vishnu had to use stealth.
Mahabali exulted in the “joy of giving” much earlier than the present-day feel good Corporate Social Responsibility, which is limited to a timespan and flogged for vested interests of media coverage.
Once Mahabali was, as per his daily practices, engaged in giving away material riches of cattle stock, jewels etc. A short-statured Brahman, who was Vamana (dwarf) approached him. Noticing that the visitor was unlike others, Mahabali asked him as to what would he like to beget — cattle, gold silver, etc? To which the Brahman answered: “I would like to ask of you to give me that much land which I could measure with three paces of my feet.” Mahabali laughed and asked Vamana to take more than just three paces, offering him tracts of land.
“How will I be content with tracts of land and not the land I measure thrice?” retorted Vamana.
Mahabali agreed and asked his queens to pour the holy water. He overruled his guru, Shukrarcharchaya’s warning of this Brahman being none other than Lord Vishnu himself who had come to defeat Mahabali by stealth.
To which Mahabali replied “If this Vamana is indeed Vishnu, the God of Gods, then how fortunate I am that he has descended to beg me for alms?” As he said this, the dwarf grew in stature his head touching the skies. With his first two measures he covered the earth and heaven. For the third measure he asked of Mahabli, “you promised me three measures, where do I put my third step?”
Mahabali bent down to his knees with hands folded asking Vishnu to place his foot on his head to honour his promise. Humbled by Mahabali’s magnanimosity, Vishnu said: “Mahabali you have proved you are a great king and a great soul. Before I put my feet on your head to push you forever to the netherworlds, ask for a boon.” Mahabali is supposed to have replied: “I love my people and have strived for their welfare. I request you to allow me annually one visit to my land and people.”
On Onam, it is believed that Mahabali visits his people. Keralites across caste, creed and community joyously spend time and effort to welcome their dearest Mahabali to be blessed for a lifetime. A week before Onam, the pookallam (floral rangolis) with fresh flower petals start adorning the doorstep of every home. Each day as Onam nears the pookallam becomes more and more colourful and bigger.
Every Keralite household awaits Mahabali’s visit with family members dressed in their best. They prepare a gastronomic spread called sadhyaa to make this a celebration worthy of their King Mahabali.
M.S. Neelakantan is a former teacher and consultant to a children’s education foundation based at Chennai
