Kerala Blog

Onam brings us the memory of a great period where people lived happily under the rule of great king Mahabali.

Onam reminds us to be kind and teach us to love everybody with open heart.

Today our minds and world are spoiled with bad thinking and acts.. All of us think about ourselves and our family.

Onam is a great reminder of our rich culture… Here is some Onam related Greeting Cards…

Copy and past this code to embed this greeting card to any social networking site like Twitter, Facebook, Orkut, Myspace or Email programs or forums…

<a href="http://www.zonkerala.com/"><img src="http://www.zonkerala.com/greetings/onam/onam-cards-2010.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://www.zonkerala.com/"><img src="http://www.zonkerala.com/greetings/onam/onam-2010-greetings.jpg"></a>

More Onam Greetings Cards 2010

Onam Sadya is a grand feast prepared on the Thiruvonam day in the Onam season. The traditional Kerala meal is served on the plantain leaf. There is a popular saying in Kerala about Onam sadhya: ‘Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam’ – This means that people will go to extend of selling their possession for Onam sadya.

Kerala Rice will be accompanied by a variety of dishes from Upperies (Chips) to Payasam (Kheer) and Pazham (Banana). It is essential to have ‘Pradhaman’ for an Ona Sadya. A traditional Ona Sadhya will contain Upperi, Sarakara varatti, Parippu, Pappadam, Ghee, Aviyal, Thoran, Olan, Pachadi, Kichadi, Pickles (Mainly Ginger, Mango and Lemon), and Payasam (Many types can be served like Prathamans, Palpayasam).

Serving Onam Sadya
The banana leaf has to be kept with the end to the left. A strict order should be followed in serving the feast.The upper left corner of the banana leaf should have the upperies(banana chips, sarkarapuratti), banana, and pappadam. Puli Inji (ginger pickle), Mango pickle and Lemon Pickle should be served next to the pappadam. Kichadis and pachadis should be served next. Aviyal and Thoran should be placed towards the right side of the leaf.

Rice is served in the lower centre place of the leaf. Parippu and ghee are served on the right hand side of the rice. Rice – Parippu should be eaten with Pappadam. Then Sambar is served. There is a difference of serving the next item in many parts of Kerala. In some places, Payasam is served next and Kalan and Moru (butter milk) after the payasam. In some other places, Payasam is served at the end of the feast after Kalan.

So here is a list of dishes served in a traditional Onam Sadya Feast:
Upperi (Banana Chips, Tapioca chips, Sarakara Varatti)
Pappadam
Pickles (Inji Puli, Mango Pickle, Lemon Pickle)
Kichadi (Bittergourd/Ladys Finger/Vellarikka (cucumber), Beet root)
Pachadi (Pineapple and grapes, Nendra Pazham)
Parippu
Sambar
Erissery
Olan
Thoran (Cabbage/Payar/Beans)
Masala Koottu Curry
Mezhukkupuratti (Ladys Finger/ Raw Banana/ Chena)
Kalan
Payasam (Ada Prathaman/Parippu Pradhaman/Pazham Pradhaman)
Palpayasam
Sambharam (Butter Milk)

Onam Recipes

Aviyal

Achinga Payar Thoran

Cabbage Thoran

Ethappazham Pachadi

Moru Curry

Olan

Parippu

Sambar

Vegetable Koottu Curry

Vendakka Kichadi

Raw Mango Pickle

Ethakka Payasam

Rice Palada Payasam

Semiya Payasam

Ari Murukku

Malayala Manorama  Thiruvona Sangamam will be held at Chennai on August 15, 2010. Manorama Pookalam Contest and the food festival are the major attractions of the Sangamam.

Food Court is by famous Reena Paul. There are many varieties of food at Food Court like Malabara Station, Travancore Station, Dosa Counters, Tandoor, Chat and Payasams.

Pookalam contest, kids gamezone, shopping stalls, and on the spot cookery contest are the other highlights of the show.

Venue: CSI Bain School Auditorium, Balfour Road, Kilpauk, Chennai -10
Date: August 15, 2010
Time : 8.30 am – 8 pm

The Food Festival is from 11 am onwards. Food and Game Coupons will be sold at the venue.

For details, call 90037 70006

The Sangamam is organized by Manorama in association with Original Kerala Jewellers(OKJ), RMKV, Cholayil Sanjeevanam, and Aachi Masala.

There are many snake temples in India. One of the famous snake temple in Kerala is Mannarasala Temple.

Mannarasala Temple : A very famous and ancient temple in Kerala devoted to serpent gods or Nagaraja. Mannarasala is the largest and the most famous of the snake temples in India.

Mannarasala temple is located near Haripad  Subramanyaswamy temple, 33km from Alleppey and 125km from Trivandrum. The most popular offering of this temple is ‘Uruli Kamazhthal’,  which is believed get fertility to childless couples.

The most celebrated festival is Mannarasala Ayilyam.

Mannarasala Temple Photos

Naga Pooja : Noorum Palum

Pulluvan Pattu

Onam Pookalam or flower arrangement is one of the major attractions during Onam festival in Kerala. People of Kerala make amazing designs for their Pookalams. During the Onam season there are many Pookalam competitions in Kerala and also among Keralites who reside outside Kerala.

Onam Pookalams otherwise called ‘Athapookalam’ also. Traditionally, Onam Pookalams are made from the Atham Day and continues till Thiruvonam Day.

Pookalams are mostly made in circular shapes. Various flowers of different colours are used for making Athapookalams. Thumba Poo has a special importance in Onam Pookalams.

In old days, children used to collect flowers for Pookalams from the village gardens in their basket. Now a days, with the number of nuclear families becoming more, people buy flowers of their choice from the markets.

Also, the pookalam designs have changed from the traditional 10 rounds to pictures and other designs.

Onam is celebration time in Kerala during August – September. The fun and celebrations for Onam kicks off with Attachamayam at Thripunithura and Nehru Trophy Boat Race at Alappuzha.

Attachamayam & Nehru Trophy 2010

This year both Attachamayam and Nehru Trophy Boat race falls on the same day, on August 14, 2010.

Onam festivities start on the day of Atham and continues for 10 days till Tiruvonam. From August 14 to August 23, people of Kerala make ‘Pookkalams’ in front of their houses. Pookkalams are floral arrangements.

Uthradam ,Thiruvonam, Avittom & Chathayam

Thiruvonam falls on August 23 this year. The previous day, Uthradam is the first Onam. People clean the houses, make chips and pickles and get ready for Thiruvonam on this day. On Thiruvonam day, all the members of the family wear new clothes, prepare feasts and plays many games. Onam is celebrated to welcome Mahabali, the legendary king, who comes every year to visit his subjects.

So in 2010, Onnam (1st) Onam is on August 22, Thiruvonam is on August 23, Avittom (Munnam (3rd) Onam) is on August 24, and 4th Onam is on August 25.

Onam Payippad Boat Race 2010

There are many Boat Races also during this time. Payippad Boat Race at Payippad falls on the Avittom day, ie on August 24th, this year.

Aranmula Uthruttathi Vallom Kali 2010

Aranmula Uthruttathi Vallom Kali, where ‘Palliyodams’ participates in the race, will be held on August 27th in the Pampa river.

Festivities of Onam goes on till the Uthruttathi Day at Aranmula.

Malayalam Movies on Kerala TV Channels : Asianet Onam 2010 Movies List

Here is the list of Movies which is going to be telecasted in Malayalam Television channel Asianet on Onam Days – Uthradam, Thiruvonam, Avittam and Chathayam.

Pazhassi Raja

Directed by : Hariharan
Produced by : Gokulam Gopalan
Written by : M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Cinematography : Venu Nair

Loudspeaker
Cast: Mammootty, Gracy Singh, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudi Director : Jayaraj
Produced by : Time Ad Release
Cinematography : Gunasekharan
Banner : New Generation Cinema

Passenger
Director: Ranjit Shankar
Producer: S.P.Pillai
Music Director: Biji Bal
Lyricst: Anil Panachooran

Puthiya Mukham
Director: Deepan
Producer: Anil Mathew, S Murugan
Script : Sindhuraj
Banner : Bethesda Productions
Marketed by : Time Ad Release

Uthara Swayamvaram
Direction : Ramakanth Sarju
Produced by : Santhosh Pavithram
Banner : Pavithram Creations
Cast : Jayasurya, Roma, Lalu Alex, Salim Kumar, Nedumudi Venu, Biju Kuttan, Balachandra Menon, Suraj Venjaramoodu

Moz n Cat
Cast: Dileep, Ashwathy Ashok, Baby Niveditha, Rahman, Harisree Ashokan, Jagathy Sreekumar

Director: Fazil
Producer: Johny Sagarika
Cinematography: Anandakuttan

Vairam
Director: M A Nishad
Produced by: N Siva Rao
Banner: Cinema NSR India
Cast: Pasupathy, Suresh Gopi, Mukesh, Kalabhavan Mani, Jayasurya, Samvrutha Sunil, Dhanya and Meera Vasudev

Doctor Patient
Cast : Mukesh, Jayasurya, Radha Varma, Jagathy Sreekumar, Krishnaprabha, Suraaj Venjaramoodu, Nedumudi VenuStory and Screenplay : Viswanathan
Producer: Ramprasad
Director: Viswanathan

Kadha Samvidhanam Kunchako

Directed by : Haridas Kesavan
Produced by : Manoj Ramsingh
Starring  : Sreenivasan, Meena, Augustine, Shivaji Guruvayoor, Janardhanan, Jagathy
Music by : M. Jayachandran

Onam Pookalam or Onam Flower Carpet brings nostalgic memories of our early days life in Kerala especially to non resident Keralites.

Onam Pookalam is a flower arrangement made in front of the house during onam season. It starts from Atham and ends at Thiruvonam. During these 10 days Keralites arrange these flower carpet to welcome Maveli or Mahabali, who was the King of Kerala. Malayalis celebrate Onam in memories of this great Asura King who believed to be visiting all Malayali homes every year to see his people.

People make Onam Pookalam with flowers, leafs etc.

Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race 2010

Snake Boat Race is a very popular in Alleppey district of Kerala. Kerala Snake boat or Chundan Vallom is a special type of wooden boat 100 to 140 feet long, with a special shape and can accommodate up to 125 oarsmen.

There are many Snake Boat Races in Kerala like Nehru Trophy, Champakulam Moolam Boat Race, payippad boat race etc.

Nehru Trophy is the most famous among all these boat races. Nehru Trophy normally organized on Second Saturday of August every year. This year it comes on August 14th.

Nehru Trophy Boat Race Photos

More Nehru Trophy Photos