Next: 12 to 21 Sept 2027
Onam
Kerala's harvest festival: flower carpets, snake-boat races, tiger dancers and the great sadya on a banana leaf.
When is Onam in 2027?
Onam 2027 runs from 12 to 21 September 2027. Other years: 2026, 26 August to 4 September 2026; 2028, 1 to 10 September 2028.
About Onam
Onam is Kerala's most beloved festival, set in the month of Chingam. It remembers the legendary king Mahabali, whose reign is said to have been a golden age and who is believed to return each year to see his people. For ten days houses lay pookalam, flower carpets, at the door, growing larger each day. On Thiruvonam day families wear new clothes, usually cream and gold kasavu, and sit down to the sadya, a vegetarian meal of up to two dozen dishes served on a banana leaf. Communities hold vallamkali snake-boat races, Pulikali tiger dances in Thrissur, and Kaikottikali clapping dances by women.
Onam dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Onam date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 26 August to 4 September 2026 |
| 2027 | 12 to 21 September 2027 |
| 2028 | 1 to 10 September 2028 |
What is eaten
- sadya
- payasam
- avial
- banana chips
- pachadi
Traditions of Onam
Also part of it, and being written: Pookalam (The flower carpet laid at the door.), Onasadya (The festival feast on a banana leaf.).
More marked on Onam
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Onam" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.