Onam activities

The most important things about Onam are the onakkodi, the new clothes worn on this day and onam sadya, a feast which is quite elaborate. This is usually a feast served on banana leaves and serves rice along with at least an array of 4 dishes. Traditional pickles and papadam are also served. Dessert is usually 'payasam', a sweet dish made of milk, sugar and other traditional Indian savories.

During Onam, people create a multi-coloured floral decoration on the ground in the front of their home calledpookkalam. Young children especially girls are often entrusted with the task of gathering and laying out the flowers in elaborate patterns. Competitions are held on onam day to create this floral design. It is usually 1.5 m in Diameter usually in circular shape. A lamp is usually placed as part of the design. In the recent years, the floral designs have evoloved from the traditional circular shape to unique designs depicting different cultural and social aspects of Kerala life.

The Vallamkali (the snake boat race) is another event that is synonymous with Onam. Well-known races include theAranmula Boat Race and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. About 100 oarsmen row huge and graceful snake boats and men and women come from far and near to watch the snake boats skim through the water.

During the Onam, Keralite Hindus install an image of Thrikkakara Appan (Vishnu in the form of Vamana) in their home just as Hindus install images or murtis of Lord Ganesh on the Ganesh Chaturi festival.

This festival is also important because of its popularity with all communities within Kerala. Although the festival of Onam originated with, and is connected to the Hindu religion, it is celebrated today with equal fervour by the Hindus, Muslims and Christians of Kerala.

Many lamps are lit in Hindu temples of Kerala during this celebration. A palmyra tree is erected in front of temples and surrounded with a wooden balustrade and covered with dry palmyra leaves. It is lit with a torch and burned to ashes to signify that Mahabali went to hell as a sacrifice

Story Behind Onam

A long long time ago, an Asura (demon) king called Mahabali ruled Kerala. He was a wise, benevolent and judicious ruler and beloved of his subjects. Soon his fame as an able king began to spread far and wide, but when he extended his rule to the heavens and the netherworld, the gods felt challenged and began to fear his growing powers. Presuming that he might become over-powerful, Aditi, the mother of Devas pleaded with Lord Vishnu to curtail Mahabali's powers.

Vishnu transformed himself into a dwarf called Vamana and approached Mahabali while he was performing a yajna and asked for alms. Pleased with the dwarf brahmin's wisdom, Mahabali granted him a wish. The Emperor's preceptor, Sukracharya warned him against making the gift, for he realized that the seeker was no ordinary person. But the Emperor's kingly ego was boosted to think that God had asked him for a favor. So he firmly declared that there is no greater sin than going back on one's promise. He kept his word.

The Vamana asked for a simple gift — three paces of land — and the king agreed to it. Vishnu in the guise of Vamana then increased his stature and with the first step covered the sky, blotting out the stars, and with the second, straddled the netherworld. Realising that Vamana's third step will destroy the earth, Mahabali offered his head as the last step.

Vishnu's fatal third step pushed him to the netherworld, but before banishing him to the underworld Vishnu granted him a boon. Since he was attached to his kingdom and his people, he was allowed to return once a year from exile. Onam is the celebration that marks the homecoming of King Mahabali. It is the day when a grateful Kerala pays a glorious tribute to the memory of this benign king who gave his all for his subjects.

Onam

Onam is the national festival of Kerala. It marks the homecoming of legendary King Mahabali and is an annual harvestfestival. It is a popular festival among the cultural repertoire of Malayalees, and falls in the month of Chingam(August/September as per the Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Malayalam calendar, and lasts for ten days. Traditionally celebrated as a harvest festival, mythologically it is linked to Malayalee–Hindu folktales; but Onam is celebrated by people of all religions .

Onam is the biggest festival in the Indian state of Kerala. Onam Festival falls during the Malayali month of Chingam (Aug - Sep) and marks the homecoming of legendary King Mahabali. Carnival of Onam lasts for ten days and brings out the best of Kerala culture and tradition. Intricately decorated Pookalam, ambrosial Onasadya, breathtaking Snake Boat Race and exotic Kaikottikali dance are some of the most remarkable features of Onam - the harvest festival in Kerala.

Akasha Gopuram

‘Aakasha Gopuram’, set in an imaginary town tells the story of Albert Samson (Mohanlal), a middle-aged architect who is ready to sacrifice anything for art. Though, he has pulled up his way to fame, his determination only on his career success for fended Samson and his family from leading a meaningful life.

Samson in his early years has struggled much to reach up to his ambitions. Then, he worked with his employer Abraham Thomas, who supported him in his endeavors. Samson started building churches and after a while, easily climbed lanes of glory, when he attempted building villas. He even exploited Abraham, his former employer, to reach the top, which in turn has made the later, his assistant. Samson managed to marry Alice, the daughter of a British Duke but with the death of her parents and her children, she ceased sympathizing with Samson and started leading a frustrated life. Samson also very soon realized that just like his own life, not every thing was good in the houses that he had built, along the years. Thomas, now dying, wanted his son Alex to have more independence in the firm but Samson fearing the caliber of the younger generation of architects refuses to allow Alex either to design original houses or to leave the firm.

Samson's life takes a new turn as Hilda Varghese, a spirited young woman who has idolized Samson for years, comes up to claim the ‘kingdom' that Samson has offered her when she was just a girl of twelve. This promise was made when Samson built a large church in her hometown, ten years before and climbed to the top of its tower during its dedication ceremony.  And now Hilda sincerely has come to collect her kingdom. To fulfill her wish and for making  a perfect architecture for self satisfaction, Samson  begins to built a tower -a big one, poised to reach the sky - 'Aakashagopuram'.

'Aakashagopuram' also has a rare distinction that it is one of the few international co-productions made in Malayalam. National and international award winning director K P Kumaran, returns to big screen after a gap of 6 year with the film.

“I had been trying to do this film for the last ten years. I did even plan the film against an Indian milieu, to be shot at Simla, Ooty and Moonar , but it never materialized. It was then the British company under Taizoon F. Khorakkiwala came forward to support the production. It was really a dream come true for me'', says Kumaran whose famous filmography includes Thotram, Athithi, Neram Pularumbol, Rugmini and Kattile Pattu among others. ‘Master Builder’ is a powerful psychological play written by Ibsen in his later years. The play even has some surrealistic elements. “I have tried to retain the basic character of the play, and the film is an adaptation of the play”, adds the renowned director.

Newcomer Nithya makes her debut performance as Hilda. Shweta Menon plays Alice while late Bharath Gopi plays Abraham Thomas in the film. Also in the cast are Sreenivasan, Manoj K Jayan and Geethu Mohandas in supporting roles.

The best of talent from India and UK have come together to create this engaging classic. The movie is shot entirely in various locations in UK by cinematographer Santosh C Thundiyil (Krish, Pinjar, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai fame). Sabu Cyril is the production designer of th