Onam 2027 date, Thiruvonam on 12 September and the 10 days

Onam 2027, Kerala's biggest festival, falls on Sunday, 12 September 2027, the day of Thiruvonam, according to Drik Panchang and the Union government's restricted holiday list for 2027. The ten-day celebrations begin on Atham, around 2 or 3 September, depending on the almanac.

Here are the dates, what each day means and how Kerala celebrates.

Key points

• Thiruvonam, the main day of Onam: Sunday 12 September 2027.
• The Thiruvonam star runs from about 2:58 AM on 12 September to about 6:04 AM on 13 September, according to Drik Panchang.
• Atham, the start of the ten days: around 2 or 3 September (almanacs differ).
• Uthradom (First Onam, the eve): Saturday 11 September.
• Onam is a restricted holiday for central government staff and a major holiday in Kerala.

Onam 2027 dates

Onam follows the Malayalam calendar. It falls in the month of Chingam, on the day the Moon is in the Thiruvonam (Shravana) star. Different almanacs count the start of the ten days slightly differently, which is why Atham is given as 2 or 3 September.

The ten days of Onam

Each of the ten days is named after the star (nakshatra) of the day:

1. Atham: The first, small pookalam, often of yellow flowers, and the Athachamayam parade at Thrippunithura.
2. Chithira to 7. Moolam: Each day a new ring of flowers is added to the pookalam, and the house is cleaned and decorated. These are the days of shopping for new clothes, gifts and provisions, and of Onam programmes in schools and offices before they close for the holidays.
3. Pooradam: Small clay pyramid-shaped figures called Onathappan, representing Mahabali or Vamana, are placed near the pookalam in many homes.
4. Uthradom: The eve of Onam, also called First Onam. The last-minute rush to buy vegetables, flowers and banana leaves is known as Uthradapachil.
5. Thiruvonam: The main day, with the largest pookalam, new clothes and the Onam sadhya at lunch.

Customs vary from district to district, and many families do not follow every day.

The legend of Mahabali

Onam welcomes home King Mahabali (Maveli), a generous asura king whose rule over Kerala is remembered as a golden age, when everyone was equal, no one was poor and no one lied or cheated.

The gods, worried by his power, asked Lord Vishnu for help. Vishnu came to Mahabali as Vamana, a young Brahmin boy, and asked for as much land as he could cover in three steps. Mahabali agreed. Vamana grew to an enormous size, covering the earth and the sky in two steps, and Mahabali offered his own head for the third. Vamana pushed him down to the underworld, but, moved by his devotion, granted him the right to visit his people once a year. Onam is that visit.

Onam is also Kerala's harvest festival, at the end of the monsoon, and it is celebrated by Malayalis of every religion. Churches, mosques, colleges and offices hold their own pookalam contests and sadhyas, which is why Onam is often called Kerala's national festival.

How Onam is celebrated

Pookalam: From Atham, families lay a flower carpet, the pookalam, in front of the house, adding a new ring of flowers each day, so it grows larger until Thiruvonam. Competitions for the best pookalam are held in schools, offices and neighbourhoods.

Onakkodi: New clothes for Onam, traditionally the cream-and-gold kasavu sari or mundu.

Onam sadhya: The grand vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf on Thiruvonam is the heart of the festival. A full sadhya can have more than two dozen dishes, including:

• Rice, parippu (lentils) with ghee, sambar and rasam.
• Avial, thoran, olan, kaalan, erissery and pachadi.
• Pickles, papadam, banana chips and sharkara varatti (jaggery-coated banana chips).
• Payasam, often two or more kinds, such as ada pradhaman and palada.

Each dish has its place on the leaf, and the meal is eaten by hand in a particular order, from rice and parippu to payasam.

Vallam kali (snake boat races): Long snake boats (chundan vallam), rowed by teams of dozens, race on Kerala's rivers and backwaters. The Aranmula boat race on the Pampa, tied to the Parthasarathy temple, is held during the Onam season, and the famous Nehru Trophy race at Alappuzha usually takes place in August, before Onam.

Pulikali: In Thrissur, men painted as tigers and hunters dance through the streets on the fourth day of Onam.

Games and music: Onakalikal (traditional games), Thiruvathirakali dance by women, and Onam songs.

Pookalam tips

• Start small: Begin with a simple circle of one colour on Atham and add a ring each day.
• Use local flowers: Thumba, marigold, chethi, chrysanthemum and hibiscus are traditional; dyed rice and leaves fill gaps.
• Draw first: Mark the design with chalk or a string compass before laying petals.
• Keep it fresh: Sprinkle a little water in the evening so the petals last until morning.

Athachamayam

The festival opens with Athachamayam, a colourful procession at Thrippunithura near Kochi on Atham day, with floats, elephants, folk artists and music. It recalls the royal procession of the old Kingdom of Cochin.

Onam week in Kerala

The Kerala government usually organises a statewide Onam week of cultural programmes, with illuminations along the main roads of Thiruvananthapuram, stage shows and folk art performances, ending with a grand procession. The dates are announced by the state tourism department each year.

Onam holidays in 2027

• Central government: Onam (Thiruvonam) on 12 September is a restricted holiday. Because it falls on a Sunday in 2027, there is no separate weekday off.
• Kerala: The state usually gives holidays for several days around Thiruvonam, and schools close for the Onam vacation. Check Kerala's 2027 holiday list.
• Banks: Banks in Kerala close on the main Onam days under the state list.
• Travel: Trains and flights to Kerala from Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and the Gulf are very full in the week before Onam. Book early.

Onam for Malayalis abroad

For the large Malayali community in the Gulf, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, Onam is the biggest cultural event of the year. Associations and restaurants hold Onam sadhyas and cultural programmes, often on several weekends in August and September, and many families plan their annual trip home for Onam.

Onam 2027 and the September festivals

Read our Ganesh Chaturthi 2027 guide and the full festival calendar for 2027.

On Sunday 12 September 2027, Kerala will lay its biggest pookalams and its longest sadhyas to welcome Mahabali home. Book your travel early, wear your kasavu, and arrive hungry.