The annual harvest festival of Onam 2020 has begun. It is a major annual event for the Malayali people in and outside Kerala. The ten-day festival is observed with equal enthusiasm and each day has a different name and specific celebrations. Among them, Thiruvonam Onam 2020 is the main day of the festival, when people apply rice flour batter on the entrance of their houses, and follow other rituals. So, when is Thiruvonam? If you are wondering about the festival and when will it be marked this year, you have come to the right place. In this article, we bring you Thiruvonam 2020 date, history, significance and everything to know to celebrate the festival of Onam 2020 with great zeal and enthusiasm. Onam 2020 Main Day Date And Full Schedule: Know Significance of Thiruvonam, Legend of King Mahabali And Celebrations of Kerala's Harvest Festival. 

Thiruvonam 2020 Date

Thiruvonam Onam falls on the 22nd Nakshatra Thiruvonam in the Malayalam calendar month of Chingam, which in Gregorian calendar overlaps with August and September. According to Drikpanchang, Thiruvonam Nakshathram 2020 begins at 1:52 pm on August 30 and ends at 3:04 pm on August 31, 2020.

Thiruvonam: History and Significance

Hindu mythology states Mahabali as the great-great-grandson of a Brahmin sage named Kashyapa, the great-grandson of a demonic dictator, Hiranyakashipu, and the grandson of Vishnu devotee Prahlada. Mahabali came to power by defeating the Devdas and taking over three worlds. As per Vaishnavism mythology, the defeated Devas approached Vishnu for help, who in turn refuse to join the Gods in violence against Mahabali, as he was a good ruler and his own devotee. Onam 2020 Pookalam Designs: New Rangoli Patterns and Beautiful Floral Designs to Decorate Home on Thiruvonam.

To test King Mahabali’s devotion, Lord Vishnu visited him as a dwarf boy called Vamana. The King offered anything to the boy. Vamana said that all he needed was “three places of land,” to which Mahabali agreed. Vamana grew to an enormous size and covered everything, King Mahabali ruled. King Mahabali offered his head for Vishnu to step on, and the Lord granted him a boon, through which Mahabali could visit again, once every year, the lands and people he previously ruled. This revisit marks the festival of Onam.

The Thiruvonam Onam commemorates the appearance of Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. Onam celebrates the Ausra King Mahabali’s annual visit from Patala. On Thiruvonam day, King Mahabali is believed to visit every Malayali home and meet the people. Devotees take a shower, early in the morning, apply rice flour batter on the entrance of their house, wear new clothes and create beautiful pookalam designs to welcome King Mahabali.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2020 11:57 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).