Onam is Kerala’s largest harvest festival and celebration of the State’s unique social fabric and cultural heritage. It is celebrated by Malayalees across the globe, usually during the months of August or September, depending on the Malayalam calendar, with a 10 day-long festival in the month of ‘Chingam’.
It has a mythology surrounding it, featuring the legendary King Mahabali, a fair and just rule of Kerala who was banished to the Netherworld as part of a ploy from jealous gods. His annual return from the Netherworld to Kerala Is celebrated as Onam.
The State of Kerala comes alive with several activities and festivities during Onam season. Highlights include ‘Vallam Kali‘, the famous boat races; ‘Pulikali‘, where people paint themselves as tigers and dance; folk dances like Thiruvathira and Thumbi Thullal; and martial arts performances like ‘Onathallu‘.
The most ubiquitous activity, that is practically synonymous with Onam, however, is the making of Pookalams, beautiful and intricately designed floral carpets that welcome Mahabali’s spirit upon arrival. The pookalam designed on the first day of Onam is called “Athapoo”, translating to ‘The Flower of Atha’, or Athapookalam as it is made on Atham (which means the first day of Onam), and it grows in size and complexity until till the Tenth Day of Onam, or Thiruvonam.
The pookalam holds significant symbolism, in addition to its captivating beauty. Its design coveys the DNA it shares with other floral designs found in other parts of India like rangoli carpets, showcasing its rich historical heritage. Furthermore, pookalams are followed by the cleaning of homes, it brings together multiple people, and is also symbolic of being one with nature – therefore, it is heavily associated with the prosperity, sanctity, and harmony of families and the community as a whole.
The pookalam competitions held during Onam get families, communities, and institutions to showcase their artistic abilities. These events foster healthy competition and creativity amongst the members of the community, while producing amazing pookalams that astonish spectators.
The preservation of beautiful and harmonious traditions are important for the psychological resilience of any community. Malayali families, across the world, find it crucial to pass this custom from generation to generation to preserve Kerala's and the Malayali community’s legacy.
Despite its traditional roots, you do not need to approach the pookalam with a monolithic attitude: you can feel free to create designs that are distinct on their own!
Some of the more classic patterns contain some permutation or combination of circles, squares, and triangles, but you can also find pookalams depicting flowers, animals (like peacocks), and famous figures (like Mahabali and film stars).
Whichever design you opt to choose, the diversity of flowers and their contrasting colors will make your pookalam a deliciously palatable sight to guests and onlookers, nevertheless.
Making a pretty and clean pookalam requires patience, attention to detail, and the delicate use of your hands. You also need to ensure harmonious and methodical color combinations – for example, yellow, pink orange, and white. Skilled painters and designers also place colored powders and even place illuminated bulbs to accentuate the pookalam’s beauty.
The choice of flowers is essential to creating an eye-catching Pookalam. While slitworts, chrysanthemums, and marigolds are the conventionally used flowers, you are allowed to experiment with other flowers to create unique and interesting visuals.
To take some weight off your shoulder, here is a list of flowers that are traditionally used for making pookalams; they should be readily available at local flower shops in Kerala, especially during Onam season.
This adorable white flower is foundational to the Onam pookalam, providing them their trademark soothing white. Thumbas are sometimes the only flowers laid out during Atham, the first day of Onam.
Tulasis give the Pookalams a calming and fragrant appearance. They are also a well-needed respite from the jolly and vibrant colors that encompass the rest of the floral carpet.
These are the popping red flowers that are used to accentuate the borders of the pookalam. While they take up the least amount of space, their presence is beyond crucial as they make the pookalam look ripe and alive.
The vivid dark red color of the hibiscus blooms gives a vibrant hue to the pookalams, solidifying them as a crucial regular on the floral carpet.
These stunning blue flowers with a hue of yellow might remind you of the beautifully iridescent dance and plumage of peacocks. Their addition to pookalams gives them a wow factor that onlookers will not miss.
Marigold flowers are an essential component of the Athapookalam, making your Pookalam look compete because of its wide variety of colors: orange, red, white, and yellow.
A pookalam favorite because of its large petals and soothing aroma.
Another Athapookalam classic, these are smaller in size and also come in a variety of colors such as orange, yellow, white, blue, and red.
This vibrant red flower is named "Hanuman Kereedam" (Hanuman’s Crown) because of its appearance resembling the Hindu deity Hanuman’s crown pagoda; add them to your Pookalams to make them look like they have been adorned with jewels.
The Mukuthi’s yellow has a special appeal of its own: giving even the drabbest Pookalams a vividly striking appearance.
If you are at all a little more curious about the Ten Days of Onam and how the Pookalam evolves alongside them, we have got you covered in this section!
The pookalam is small and simple, usually a single circular layer with flowers like Thumba. The design is basic, often featuring a single floral ring, symbolizing the start of the festival.
A second layer of flowers is added, often using a contrasting color like orange or red. The pookalam begins to expand in size, and the pattern becomes slightly more intricate.
More layers are added, incorporating a greater variety of flowers. The design becomes more complex, with additional geometric patterns or shapes introduced.
The pookalam grows larger and more colorful. Flowers like marigolds and jasmine may be added, and the design becomes more elaborate. This day often marks the beginning of competition amongst families or communities in designing the best pookalams.
New elements such as petals, leaves, and small fruits may be introduced, and the patterns become more intricate as the pookalams grow in size and detail.
New elements such as petals, leaves, and small fruits may be introduced, and the patterns become more intricate as the pookalams grow in size and detail.
The pookalam is, by now, quite large; multiple layers of vibrant colors and complex patterns are added, making the design more eye-catching.
The pookalam is now at its most intricate stage. New and exotic flowers, like Butterfly Pea, are used, and the design becomes a display of detailed patterns and motifs.
The pookalam reaches near-completion. It is expansive, featuring multiple layers and complex designs, often with symbolic, cultural, personal, or professional motifs. This day also involves rituals like placing clay pyramids, known as Onathappan, at the center of the pookalam.
The pookalam is nearly fully developed, with finishing touches added to perfect the design. It’s a visual spectacle, incorporating a wide array of flowers and intricate patterns that reflect the anticipation of Thiruvonam.
The pookalam is at its grandest and most elaborate. Every detail is perfected, with vibrant colors and intricate patterns symbolizing the peak of the Onam celebrations. This final design represents prosperity, unity, and the culmination of the festival.
Before we wrap things up, we would like to gently guide you on how to make your own pookalam.
1. Using an erasable marker or chalk, sketch and color out your pookalam on the floor, where you would like it to be. This can help you map out the size and color combination for your Pookalam.
2. Shop for or pluck out the necessary flowers whose colors align with those of your Pookalam design. You may refer to the flower list that we provided above to help you with this.
3. Finally, you may separate the flower petals and start filling the design that you had sketched out on the floor – your own Pookalam will soon be set to impress all!
We hope we have guided you, however briefly, on how to source for and use the flowers to create your own pookalam at home! These floral carpets make Onam season an incredible time for tourists to visit the State of Kerala, as you can get to see the pookalams in all their beauty and even partake with the locals in making them over the course of ten days. Whether you are someone who is artistically inclined or a novice, there is no doubt that creating a pookalam would be a joyous and rewarding experience for you.
There are several accommodations in Munnar, hotels, and resorts around Kerala that let you partake in such Onam festivities – be it through their own services or by linking you with families or other organizations in their vicinity. While at these hotels or resorts, you can also enjoy several attractions in munnar – like trekking and adventuring – and the many other activities that they have to offer!
Follow Us On
Drop your Queries
Categories
Adventure and Outdoor Activities
Attractions / Destination Guides
Culture and Cuisine
Travel Tips and Advice
Resort Facilities
Wellness and Ayurveda
Seasonal Highlights
Recent Post
Tags
