The Story of Onam

Onam is the festival of revival. The return of Maveli, the good king brings renewed hope and joy to the land of Kerala and her people wherever in the world they may be.

As the story goes, Maveli was a much beloved king. Righteous, just and worshipped by his people. So loved was he that even the virtuous king of the devas Indra, realised that he would never be able to match the benchmark of goodness that the asura king was setting. Fueled by insecurity, he approached the Gods lamenting about how the balance of good and evil in the world would be undone if they allowed goodness to be glorified by someone from a race that was associated with evil and wrong doing. The Gods realised that Maveli was too good for this earth. He would need to go.

How does one attack and kill the good and the virtuous without provocation? Especially when the aggressors epitomise goodness themselves. They could not use warfare or force as it would make a mockery of what they were trying to achieve. Thus, it came to be that Vishnu reached the King’s court in the Vaman avatar, the dwarf form, dressed as a brahmin. Standing in front of the King, he asked him for some land. The ever-generous Maveli was happy to oblige the brahmin generously offering him as much as his heart desired. “Three paces of land measured by my own feet” replied the visitor. The amused king granted him his wish little knowing that it was no ordinary brahmin in front of him. The little brahmin stood before the land he was to get a portion of and began to grow. It is said that when he took his first step, he covered the whole world, with the second he covered the netherworlds and all that was left of the universe. The brahmin then lifted his leg again for the final time and looked at the King, searching for a place to rest his foot on. The King, of course, knew that his time had come. He also knew that was going to fulfill his promise to Shri Vishnu who had done him the favour of coming himself to collect him from this earth. In true submission, he removed his crown, bowed down and offered his head to the Lord as the only thing that he could still call his own.

Pleased, Vishnu asked Maveli what he would like in exchange for his life. The King, who had lived so far, for and in his land and its people asked to be able to return to earth once a year to breathe the air, feel the touch of the sacred land and physically rejoice in the love of his people. So it is that every Onam, the people of Kerala, welcome their King. They pray, dance and sing songs welcome their king who was wronged by the Gods themselves and finally immortalized forever in the cultural fibre of the land. 

Back  to: Oh My! These Indian Gods!

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