my heart goes out to the dude below ...
Happy Onam! ഓണാശംസകള്‍!!
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Balachandar wrote:
மலையாள நண்பர்களுக்கு ஓணம் பண்டிகையின் நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்!
We are celebrating because of you people.... thanks!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onam
a tale of jealousy & possibly ethnic cleansing ... :-(
happy onam to all, nevertheless
Hi Friends,
Onam (in Malayalam: ഓണം) is a cultural and harvest festival celebrated by all Keralites irrespective of their religion or caste and domicile.
(a pookkalam)
People wear new dress.. they get togather celebrate and enjoy..
The festival is marked by various festivities, including intricate flower carpets - ten days the shape of each 'pookkalam' (flower carpet) expands and people compete to draw the best with flowers, elaborate banquet lunches - "Onam sadhya", Onam is the start of snake boat races (vallam kali), Puli Kali - people acting as Leopard and Tigers, then Kaikottikkali. etc
(onasadhya)
These festivities make Onam a unique festival on the earth which is embellished by most number of cultural elements and it can be undoubtedly said that these elements constitute the colorfulness, diversity and richness that no other festival can claim. On Onam day people also conduct special prayers in Hindu temples.
The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali. It falls during the first Malayalam month of Chingam (August–September) and lasts for ten days starting on Atham and ending on Thiruvonam. Hence, it can be considered as a New Year celebration.
There is a myth behind Onam celebration..
Once upon a time a Honest king ruled our land... called Mahabali..
People under Mahabali's reign were happy and prosperous and the king was highly regarded, so much so that even the gods under Indra became jealous of Mahabali as was intended by Vishnu, and they approached Vishnu claiming that Mahabali is now equivalent to Indra. Once Vishnu was assured that Indra's pride has been contained and that a world with two Indras represents imbalance, Vishnu assumed the form of a dwarf: Vamana. Vamana requested three steps of land for him to live in. Given a promise of three steps of land by King Mahabali against the warning given by his Guru Sukracharya, Vamana, enlarged himself to such dimensions as to stride over the three worlds. He had grown so huge that he could step from heaven to earth, and earth to the lower worlds in two simple steps. King Mahabali unable to fulfill the promise of three paces of land to the Supreme God, offers his head for the third step. Thus, Vamana places his foot on King Mahabali's head and sends him down to the netherworld. Being worshipped however, by Mahabali, and his ancestor Prahláda, he conceded to them the sovereignty of Pátála (netherworld supposed to be beneth earth).
However, as Mahabali was equivalent to Indra, he had to wait until the next Yuga where he would be the Indra. In the meantime, with the grace of Vishnu, Mahabali visited his people on an annual basis. Vishnu served Mahabali as a gatekeeper in Patala as the Lord himself serves his greatest devotees.
It is this visit of Mahabali that is celebrated as Onam every year. People celebrate the festival in a grand way and impress upon their dear King that they are happy and wish him well.
Tomorrow is First Onam.. The main day of celebration is day after called "Thiruvonam"
"മാവേലി നാട് വാണീടും കാലം
മാനുഷരെല്ലാരും ഒന്നുപോലെ
ആമോദത്തോടെ വസിക്കും കാലം
ആപത്തോന്നാര്ക്കും ഒട്ടില്ലതാനും"
"ആധികള് വ്യാധികള് ഒന്നുമില്ല.
ബാലമരണങ്ങള് കേള്പ്പാനില്ല
ദുഷ്ടരെ കണ്കൊണ്ട് കാണ്മാനില്ല
നല്ലവരല്ലാതെ ഇല്ലപാരില്"
"നാരിമാര് ബാലന്മാര് മറ്റെല്ലാരും
നീതിയോടെങ്ങും വസിച്ചകാലം
കള്ളവുമില്ല ചതിയുമില്ല എള്ളോളമില്ല പൊളി വചനം
കള്ളപ്പറയും ചെറുനാഴിയും
കള്ളത്തരങ്ങള് മറ്റൊന്നുമില്ല"
it means something like below without the literal magnanimity
When Maveli, our King, ruled the land,
All the people had equality.
And people were joyful and merry;
They were all free from harm.
There was neither anxiety nor sickness,
Death of the children was never even heard of,
There were no lies,
There was neither theft nor deceit,
And no one was false in speech either.
Measures and weights were right;
No one cheated or wronged his neighbor.
When Maveli, our King, ruled the land,
All the people formed one casteless race.
HAPPY ONAM!!!..
YOurs.....sajay