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Home > Kerala Villages > Thrikkakara Village > The Legacy of Onam The Legacy of Onam
The alwars who were Vaishnavite saints and philosophers propagated and popularized Vaishnavism all over Tamilakam in various ways. Researchers had found that the deity at Tirupati is that of Vamana and the celebration of Onam was conducted here from those times of Hindu revivalism. There is a reference to the celebration of Onam at Maduraikanchi in Pathupattu, a sangam work. The tradition of celebrating Onam must have come to kerala during times of harmony with the Cholas and pandyas as it was in Tirupati and Madurai. Soon the festival became the national festival of the land and the Vamana moorthy temple at Thrikkakara became the epicenter of the festivities, thus the distinct honour of being the motherland of Onam belongs solely to Thrikkakkara. It is said that in those days, when Onam was celebrated, the heads of 64 revenue divisions, the local chieftains, the regional representatives etc would come to this place. Each of the local chieftains had a place of their own in this pace when they camped at Thrikkakara. Each of the chieftains had a duty assigned to him. In those days as a routine custom every household in kerala would send at least one member from the family to Thrikkakkara for the Onam festival. This festival was a month long event which ended on thiru Onam day in the month of ‘Chingam’. The last ten days were especially grand. Floral decorations, art events, pageantry of 64 caparisoned elephants, grand feasts and fireworks would form part of the celebration. But with the decline of the Chera Empire, this unified territory broke into small principalities; the custom of celebrating Onam at Thrikkakarai was given the go by. Instead each of them started celebrating Onam in their own place. But even then they had the hang over of the earlier practice of worshipping the deity of Thrikkakkara. So in each of the places, an improvised idol of Thrikkakkaraiappan made of clay is placed, pooja is offered to it during those ten days when Onam festival is at its zenith. After the break up of the Perumal rule, the Thrikkakkara festival came to be organized jointly by the Perumbadappu and Nediyiruppu Swarupams. For a long span of time, both of the swarupams vied with each other in order to make the Onam festival grand. In later times, the strength of the local chiefdoms started disintegrating and they could no longer afford to meet the expenses of the festivities. The journey of the local kings, chieftains, naduvazhis etc to Thrikkakkara thus came to a cease. The Onam festival thus came to be celebrated only for namesake. As time passed by, both nediyirippu and Perumbadappu thus came to disown the festival; the pomp and ceremony attached to the festival thus came to an end. Today the festival and procession has been revived by popular initiative of the people. |
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