The Tenth Day Of Onam 2025: Relive Thiruvonam’s Joy With Traditions, Games, And The Grand Sadya

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Onam is Kerala's most cherished festival, and among its ten days of rituals and celebrations, Thiruvonam is the crown jewel. It is the day when King Mahabali is believed to visit his people, and every Malayali home shines with colour, aroma, and laughter. Clean courtyards, vibrant flower carpets, hearty feasts, and cultural performances mark the occasion, creating a festival that blends devotion, abundance, and togetherness.

The Significance Of Thiruvonam

Thiruvonam is more than the last day of Onam-it is the culmination of ten days of anticipation, preparation, and joy. According to legend, Mahabali, the benevolent king, is welcomed home by his people with love and respect. Culturally, the day represents prosperity, equality, and community spirit, where families come together to cook, decorate, and share.

Morning To Night: How The Day Unfolds

The day begins before sunrise with ritual bathing, lighting lamps, and decorating the entrance of homes. The Onathappan idol or symbol is placed near the floral carpet, and prayers are offered. By mid-morning, kitchens are alive with activity as women stir pots of curries and sweets while children help arrange the final touches to the pookalam.

By noon, the Onasadya takes centre stage. Families gather on the floor around banana leaves, sharing laughter, stories, and the flavours of Kerala. Later, villages and towns come alive with cultural events-Pulikali tiger dances, Vallamkali boat races, and traditional music fill the air. The celebrations continue into the evening with processions, temple feasts, and community gatherings.

Pookalam: The Flower Carpet Of Onam

The pookalam is the heart of Onam's visual beauty. What begins as a simple yellow ring of flowers on Atham day gradually grows into a spectacular design by Thiruvonam. Families arrange fresh petals in concentric circles, lotuses, or intricate mandalas using flowers like marigold, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, and the sacred Dashapushpam.

Competitions are common, with neighbourhoods and even shopping malls hosting pookalam contests that turn into local spectacles. In the evening, many decorate their designs with small oil lamps, making the floral artwork glow warmly against the night sky.

Other Traditions And Customs

In North Malabar, the mysterious Onapottan visits homes, silently blessing families while ringing a bell. Across Kerala, swings tied to trees are enjoyed by children and young adults, accompanied by folk songs. Martial displays such as Onathallu keep alive the state's warrior traditions, while cultural events like Pulikali and boat races continue to enthral crowds.

At Aranmula, the Thiruvonathoni ritual is a highlight. A sacred boat carrying provisions sails through the night to reach the Aranmula temple ghats by morning, where offerings are made and temple feasts begin.

Onakkodi: Wearing New Clothes

Onakkodi, the tradition of wearing new clothes, is an inseparable part of Thiruvonam. Families gift fresh garments-kasavu sarees, set mundu, or kurta-mundu-to their loved ones. This act symbolises renewal, blessings, and the spirit of sharing.

Onakalikal: Games And Dance That Bring Everyone Together

Onam is also a time for play and performance. Villages and towns come alive with Onakalikal, the traditional games of the season. Children and adults join in Vadam Vali (tug of war), a test of strength and teamwork that fills the air with laughter and cheers. Women perform the graceful Thiruvathira Kali, dancing in circles around a lamp in their cream-and-gold sarees, their claps and songs echoing the festive spirit. From Pulikali (tiger dance) to Uriyadi (pot-breaking), these activities add colour and energy to the celebrations, making Thiruvonam feel like a festival for every generation.

Onasadya: The Grand Feast

The Onasadya is a culinary spectacle with over 20 dishes, each contributing a distinct flavour and texture. Served on a banana leaf, it follows a specific order-chips and pickles on the side, rice with parippu and ghee to begin, followed by sambar, kalan, avial, and an array of thorans, pachadis, and eriserry. Payasam concludes the meal, leaving everyone in sweet contentment.

Folding the banana leaf after the meal is considered symbolic. Folding it towards oneself signifies satisfaction, while folding it away is traditionally avoided.

Three Must-Have Recipes For An Authentic Onam Sadya

If you wish to bring the flavours of Onam to your own table, here are six must-have recipes.

Avial

Ingredients

• 250g mixed vegetables (yam, raw banana, carrot, beans, ash gourd)
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 cup curd
• 1 tsp turmeric, salt
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, curry leaves

How To Prepare

• Cook the vegetables with turmeric and salt until just tender.
• Grind coconut, chillies, and cumin into a coarse paste.
• Mix paste into the vegetables, add curd, and stir gently without boiling.
• Drizzle coconut oil and garnish with curry leaves.

Pachadi (Pineapple Version)

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped pineapple
• ½ cup grated coconut, 2 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 slit green chillies
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ cup curd
• ½ tsp mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, 1 tsp coconut oil

How To Prepare

• Cook pineapple with turmeric powder and salt until soft.
• Grind coconut, green chillies, a few cumin and mustard seeds into a paste
• Pour paste into the cooked pineapple, after that stir curd and pour into the mixture as well.
• Temper with mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves in oil, pour over, and serve.

Ada Pradhaman

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice ada
• 1½ cups jaggery, dissolved and strained
• 2 cups thick coconut milk, 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 3 tbsp ghee
• A pinch of dry ginger powder
• Cashews, raisins, 1 tsp cardamom powder

How To Prepare

• Soak ada in hot water until soft, drain.
• Cook ada in thin coconut milk, then add jaggery syrup.
• Add ghee, fried cashews, raisins, dry ginger powder and cardamom.
• Stir in thick coconut milk (do not boil after this).

Thiruvonam is an experience of togetherness, beauty, and flavour. From the colourful pookalams that brighten courtyards to the Onasadya that fills stomachs and hearts, every element of the day reflects joy and abundance. Whether you are in Kerala or elsewhere in the world, recreating even a part of these traditions-the floral carpets, new clothes, or just a humble Sadya can bring the magic of Onam into your home. Here's wishing everyone a happy and prosperous Onam!