Like West Bengal’s Durga Puja, Kerala To Brand Onam As Tourism Experience

Onam is a 10-day harvest festival celebrated during the Malayalam month of Chingam. But now, Kerala has decided to take the much-awaited festival beyond state borders by planning a campaign to market Onam as a unique tourism experience. The move is expected to attract more visitors to the state and help strengthen the economy. Keep reading to know what is being planned.

Kerala Plans To Market Onam As A Unique Tourism Experience

Spanning 10 days, Onam is celebrated with a lot of joy in Kerala. The harvest festival marks the homecoming of the generous King Mahabali, and to welcome him, families decorate the entrances of their homes with beautiful, colourful patterns made of fresh flowers called ‘Pookalam’. Not just that, people also wear new traditional clothes and enjoy Onasadya, a grand feast featuring 26 different dishes served on a fresh banana leaf.

But Kerala now has some amazing plans to celebrate Onam this year. According to The New Indian Express, the state plans to position the festival as an experience that travellers must participate in. The tourism department is planning to market Onam as a unique and immersive cultural experience to attract more tourists to the state.

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Campaign To Focus On Food & More

According to The New Indian Express, the campaign will focus on signature Onam experiences such as the Aranmula Vallasadya, traditional art forms and cultural programmes associated with the harvest festival. This initiative will help Kerala attract more tourists from neighbouring states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The Tourism Minister shared with TNIE that modern tourists do not simply want to see destinations. They want to experience the cultural rituals of a place, too. This is why the plan will allow visitors to become part of the festivities through traditions, art and food. Authorities are planning to brand the festival in the same way West Bengal markets Durga Puja. They want Onam to become a major reason for people to travel to Kerala.

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Have you ever celebrated Onam in Kerala? How was your experience?

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/ Anirudhanmuthuvara (Representative Image)