Today's Chingam onnu meaning that it's the first day of the month of 'Chingam' on the Malayalam calendar- an auspicious day for all the 'mallus' of the world. The harvesting season is just getting to be over and it's another ten days for the festival of Onam to begin.
To the benefit of my non-malayalee friends and the young malayalee generation that has been born and brought up away from Kerala, I shall narrate to you the significance of Onam. Long, long ago Kerala was ruled by a demon(Asura) king by the name of 'Mahabali' or 'Maveli'. He was a just and an efficient ruler who ensured good administration for his people and there was all round prosperity and happiness. He was also a believer of Lord Vishnu.
To the 'Devas' this sort of arrangement was unacceptable and so, they prayed to Lord Vishnu to bring about a change. Accordingly, Lord Vishnu in the guise of a frail Brahmin ( Vaamana), approached the king and asked for a place to do his 'tapasya' which he'd measure by three footfalls of his. When the benevolent king agreed to this strange request, the brahmin assumed his original being and with the first two footfalls, he'd covered the shores and the seas of the earth and turned questioningly to the king as to how and where he should measure the third, as the king was honour bound to keep his word. Without any hesitation, the king prostrated and offered his head for the same and Lord Vishnu sent him to hell. So impressed was Lord Vishnu with Mahabali's humility and commitment to his word, that he grants him a boon to visit his kingdom once evey year.
The festival of Onam commemmorates this visit of Mahabali, who's entitled to travel the length and breadth of Kerala, during the entire month of Chingam. The floral decoration or the 'athappoo' presents the necessary ambience to the king's visit.
Wonder what he's to say about the present plight of his kingdom?
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