Onam & Onam Sadhya

    Onam is an annual harvest festival celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala. A major annual event for Keralites, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. Drawing from Hindu mythology, Onam commemorates King Mahabali.

    Indian festivals are incomplete without food and one such festival is Onam. The harvest festival is celebrated with a colourful feast served on a banana leaf called ‘Sadhya’. Sadhya is basically the term coined for the feast that is a part of the 10th day of the annual harvest festival Onam, which is also called ‘Onam Sadhya’. The feast is known for its flavours and varieties of dishes. 

    Onam Sadhya is the traditional multi-course vegetarian meal served on the festive occasion, on a banana leaf featuring over 25 dishes. The enormous meal calls for preparations beginning much in advance, which brings the community together in forging a memorable experience. According to experts, the meal consists of traditional dishes from across the state, including fried snacks, variety of curries, pickles, sweets served alongside red rice.

    The 25 dishes meal served on plantain leaves include dishes like Kaaya Varuthatha (banana chips), Chenna Varuthathu (yam cut into slices and fried with spices), Choru (Boiled Rice), Sarkara Upperi (jaggery coated banana chips), Pulinji (tamarind-based chutney), Ada Pradhaman, Paal Payasam, Kichadi (gourd in a yoghurt curry), Pachadi (pineapple or bitter gourd in yoghurt), Olan (ash gourd with beans in a thick coconut milk gravy), Theeyal (mixed vegetable gravy), Avial (vegetables made with coconut and milk), Kalan, Sambar, Rasam, Thoran, Mor Curry, buttermilk and papad.

Story of Onam & Onam Sadhya

    The festival legend goes that there once lived the wise and generous King Mahabali, who was beloved by the people of the land (seriously, this guy would have won any poll in its time hands down).  Lord Vishnu once appeared on earth to put the king's generosity to the test. Vishnu arrived in the avatar of Vamana, a poor Brahmin dwarf. His request to Mahabali was oddly simple – he asked for three steps of land for himself which the king swiftly granted. As soon as this happened, Vamana grew to cosmic proportions; his first step covered the earth, the heavens his second, leaving nothing behind for him to claim his third. A man of his word, King Mahabali offered Vamana his own head to place his final step. The gods were thus pleased with the king and granted him a boon in return. Mahabali asked to be allowed to visit his land (modern-day Kerala) and its people once a year. 

    The sadhya which literally translates to banquet in Malayalam, is exactly that: an elaborate feast served on a plantain leaf. There are no fixed number of dishes in a traditional sadhya; the more opulent, the better. Some spots in Kerala serve sadhyas with more than 50 items!

Why is food served on banana leaf?

    For Sadhya, food is served on a banana leaf. According to experts, banana leaf is packed with a natural antioxidant called polyphenols. It is believed that when warm food is served on the leaf, the antioxidant is absorbed in the food, which provides all necessary benefits. The leaf is also rich in antibacterial properties, vitamin A, calcium, and carotene. The traditional belief says that the leaf should be folded and closed once the meal is finished. In some customs, closing the leaf towards you communicates satisfaction with the meal. While folding it symbolises that the meal needs improvement.

Eating Sadhya with hands.

    Sadhya is meant to be relished with hands. Apart from the health benefits, the Vedas believe that the practice helps the fingertips to connect with heart, third eye, solar plexus, throat, sexual and root chakras. And when we eat with hands, the motion and touch activates the charkas and benefits us in every possible way.

Sweet Touch

    The traditional feast ends with a dessert called Payasam (a sweet dish made of milk, sugar and jaggery). It is considered as a sign of prosperity and experts feel that it works as a catalyst that aids digestion.