Onam 2022: Atham is on August 30, see other important dates

It's time for Onam, the most important festival in the state of Kerala.

Onam, a harvest festival, falls in the Chingam month of the Malayalam calendar (roughly around the time of Shravana, and corresponding to Avani in the Tamil calendar) and traditional festivities start on the day of the Atham nakshatra.


This year Atham falls on August 30, Tuesday, and traditional festivities start with homes and offices laying out the Pookkalam, a floral carpet, every morning till the main days of the festival.

This is also the time residential areas and organisations hold competitions for the best pookkalam, judged often not just by their beauty but also on how they stick to traditional norms. Earlier the flowers used to be picked from the garden, nowadays they are bought in flower markets, or even brought in from neighbouring states.

The main festival is celebrated over four days, the first of which falls on the ninth day after Atham.

Uthradam: This is the first day of Onam, falling on the nakshatra day of Uthradam. The pookkalam traditionally ends on this day. This also the day homes get ready for the main day of the festival. This year it falls on September 7.

Thiruvonam: The second day of Onam, and the most important one. This is the day Malayalis flock to temples, bring out brand new clothes ( or Onakkodi) and have a grand feast on banana leaves ( Onasadya) in the afternoon. This year it falls on September 8.

Avittam: The third day of Onam, corresponding to the nakshatra Avittam. This year it's on September 9.

Chathayam: Or Fouth Onam, or the final important day of the festival. It's on September 10 this year. The Jayanti day of Sree Narayana Guru, one of the most important social reformers of Kerala, also falls on that

After the main days are over, the festivities, especially the important boat races, go on for some more days.