Are Your Onam Gifts Ready? 10 Appropriate Onam Gift Ideas and a Look into the Finer Details of This Lavish Celebration (2019)

Onam celebrates the legend of King Mahabali, who was a caring and compassionate king. The festival is a welcome to the king who visits his subjects every year on Onam. The legend is quite captivating and the most popular one. There also exists another legend wherein Onam is celebrated as the day Kerala was created by Parasurama.

The legend of King Mahabali is as follows: Long ago, King Mahabali, an asura king ruled Kerala, the state widely acclaimed as "God’s Own Country". The king was wise and generous. Kerala prospered under him and experienced a golden period. He was very popular and respected by people of all castes and classes. There was neither crime nor hunger. Everyone was happy and satisfied under his rule. Though he was an asura by birth, he was a devoted worshipper of Lord Vishnu.

His growing popularity was a thing of concern for the Gods. Being jealous of Mahabali’s fame, they appealed to Lord Vishnu to curb his reign. The king being benevolent always granted the wishes of anyone who approached him. Vishnu, dressed as a poor Brahmin boy, in his Vamana avatar, approached King Mahabali and requested him to grant him three foot-longs of land.

As the king granted the Brahmin his wishes, Vishnu grew to his cosmic proportions. With his first step, Lord Vishnu claimed the Earth; With his second step he claimed the skies; With no more space to keep his third step, Mahabali offered his head and was pushed to the nether world. Lord Vishnu appeared to his disciple in person and grants him a wish. For the wish, King Mahabali requested that he be able to visit his kingdom every year.

Every year Kerala prepares the King’s visit with fervour and enthusiasm. Onam is a 10-day affair, culminating in Thiruvonam. Onam falls in the Chingam month of the Malayalam Calendar and is also the Harvest Festival of Kerala.

Onam is celebrated over a period of 10 days. Each of these 10 days has a different agenda, that includes rituals and traditions that add up to the final day that is Thiruvonam.

While Kerala along with the rest of the country has moved onto modern times, the traditions are not forgotten. Especially around Onam, everyone prefers to wear their traditional wear which is Mundu. Mundu is worn by both men and women. Women wear the Mundu as the lower garment with a Neriyathu which is the upper garment. Men wear Mundu with a shirt in white.

Owing to tradition, the first gift we have for you is the Kerala Kasavu Butta Mundu for women by Kuthampully Handlooms from Malabar Shopping for Rs. 1,700. The Mundu itself is an off-white colour, with golden Kasavu at the border with a touch of light green. It also comes with a Neriyathu in a similar combination. The gold and green butta work offset the colour of the Mundu making it look ethereal.

For men, we have the same white Mundu with gold and silver zari work at the border. Zari work gives it an elegant look while being subtle. You can buy it at Malabar Shopping for Rs. 800.

Nilavilakku is a special lamp made of bell metal popularly used in homes and temples in Kerala. Every home has a Nilavilakku in the Puja room. It is integral to many rituals and is still lit every day in many homes. It can be of one layer or many layers. The one we have for you has one layer and is 8 inches in height. Made of brass, the muted gold appearance gives it an authentic, traditional look. Buy a Set of Two from Amazon for Rs. 1,400.

Any gifts related to gold are well accepted by the people of Kerala especially as Onam is around the corner. In this regard, the gift of this gold pendant and earring set adorned with ruby and emerald by Precia would be perfect for a young girl or a teenager. The set has a gold weight of 2.5 grams with a purity of 22 ct. The weight of the gemstones in the set is 2.5 ct and 0.6 ct for ruby and emerald respectively. However, the set doesn't come with a chain. It is indeed expensive and is available for online purchase from Malabar Gold and Diamonds for Rs. 29,230.

The gift of gold extends beyond the immediate family to the extended family too. It is looked upon as a symbol of well being and also as an asset. In that sense, a gold coin would be a perfect gift for a loved one in your extended family. The coin features the image of Goddess Laxmi who is considered to be the goddess of wealth and fortune. The gold coin we have for you weighs 5 grams and has a gold purity of 916 KDM. It also comes with a BIS Hallmark 916 certificate. Buy it for Rs. 19,210 from Malabar Gold and Diamonds.

According to the popular legend of Onam, Vishnu appears as his Vamana incarceration to send King Mahabali to the nether world. On the occasion of Onam people of Kerala worship Lord Vishnu for his blessings. This Vishnu Lakshmi idol from Himalaya Vedic World is an apt gift for your loved one or a family elder. The idol sees Vishnu as his Laxmi Narayan avatar reclining on the five-hooded serpent. Weighing approximately 2 kg, the Vishnu Lakshmi idol can be bought from Himalayan Vedic World for Rs. 3,150.

Nothing ever beats a sweet touch for any festival. Convey your wishes the best way possible with this gift hamper of sweets and flowers from Order Your Choice. This Onam, gift your loved ones this hamper of assorted kaju sweets weighing 500 gm. The bouquet of 15 roses also adds a nice touch to the ensemble. It symbolizes the importance of flowers during Onam. The flowers and sweets are sourced locally and would be delivered at your choice of time. The Harvest Onam Hamper doesn't cost you much, order it on Order Your Choice for just Rs. 1,398.

When in doubt about a gift there are two things that always work: A pen and a wallet; What we have is a pen and a table clock by Sheaffer. Available to buy at William Penn for Rs. 2,000, both the contents of the hamper can be personalised for an extra Rs. 150. The pen is black-lacquered with gold trims while the table clock is gold chrome plated. The face of the clock carries the Sheaffer emblem and roman numerals for the numbers. The regal combo adds an element of elegance to any desk it graces.

Still searching for a gift for your better half? Look no further than this Bronze Pilot Sunglasses by Zippo. Appearing unapologetically glamorous, the sunglasses garner attention with their fiery gradient lens. The lens has a bronze mirror coating and is encased in a rose gold frame. Apart from being glamorous, the sunglasses do fulfil their purpose with their UV400 protection. Purchase the Pilot Sunglasses from William Penn for Rs. 2,750.

If the above-mentioned ruby and emerald pendant is above your budget range, try this gorgeous temple necklace set. Terracotta pieces of jewellery are currently trendy and of course traditional. Made from natural clay, the neckpiece and the earrings feature the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. The set has a gold accent and the earrings are in traditional jhumka style. Buy this stunning piece of jewellery for your loved one from Jumkey for Rs. 1,998.

What better gift can you get for your city-dweller friend than this set of Air Purifying Plants? The plants come ready for placement in a plastic pot wrapped in paper. The air purifying plants present in this set are Aloe Vera, Bamboo Palm and Spider Plant. While the Aloe Vera plant is known for its medicinal properties, the Bamboo Palm and Spider plant are known for purifying the air of Xylene and Toluene. Buy this amazing set of living gifts from fernsnpetals for Rs. 1,249.

Onam, being one of the most important festivals of Kerala, it is celebrated beyond religion and caste. As such, it has quite a few interesting rituals and traditions associated with it. Of the whole lot of them, we picked a few that you might not want to miss at any cost.

Onam would not be the grand festival it is without the Onam Sadhya. With about 9 courses it consists of about 24 dishes. Onam Sadhya is purely vegetarian with about 5 or more different vegetables being used. It is served on Thiruvonam on a banana leaf. Even restaurants offer an Onam Sadhya with more than 3 dishes.

All 10 days of the Onam festival, every household in Kerala is decorated with a flower rangoli which is referred to as a Pookalam. Starting with a simple design on the first day, it evolves to a much more complex rangoli as Onam descends. Malayalees pride themselves with the intricate Pookalams they make for Onam.

Vallamkali or the snake boat race has come to be associated with Onam throughout the centuries. While it happens throughout Kerala, the one on the river Pamba is the most sought after and famous. It draws the most amount of crowds. Approximately 100 men come here to participate in the boat race. The boats are decorated in mesmerising patterns and colours.

Apart from all the flowers and food on Onam, there is also the games and the performances called Onakalikal that the people of Kerala indulge in. Men participate in outdoor games such as Talappanthukali, Kayyankali, Attakalam, Kutu-Kutu and Ambeyyal. While these happen outdoors, women perform dance forms like Thumbi Thullal, Kummatti and Kaikotti Kali.

The most anticipated event during Onam is the elephant procession that happens in Thrissur. The elephants (a whole lot of them) are decked in gold ornaments and colourful clothes to give them a royal look. They are then taken out in a procession around the whole of Thrissur. This majestic event is not to be missed and should be on your list.