Keralites celebrated Onam, their most important and colourful festival, with traditional gaiety and fervour today, commemorating a mythical past of plenty, peace and equality, reports Press Trust of India.

Homes and temples were decorated with floral decks to welcome the mythical King Mahabali, who is believed to visit his subjects on ‘Thiru Onam’ day in the Malayalam month of Chingam.

Cutting across class, caste and religious barriers, all sections of people joined the festivities with the festival assuming a universal dimension as part of Malayalees’ collective memory and yearning for harmony and brotherhood.

Hindu legend has it that Kerala was once ruled by ‘Asura’ king Mahabali, under whose reign everyone was happy and lived in a Utopia where falsehood and deception were unknown. The ‘Devas’, however, grew jealous of the popular king and had him banished to the netherworld by Lord Vishnu, who incarnated as Vamana the dwarf for the purpose.

Before going down, Mahabali secured a favour from Vishnu that he would visit his subjects on the Thiru Onam day every year.

Over the centuries, Onam has assumed a secular dimension and state-sponsored cultural programmes and public festivities have become an integral part of Onam.

Wearing new clothes and enjoying a sumptuous feast called ‘sadya’ comprising  rice, curries and scores of sweet and hot delicacies served on plantain leaf is also a main feature of the festival.

- Bernama