https://www.pitara.com/tags/kerala-festivals/Recent content in Kerala Festivals on Pitara Kids NetworkHugoen-usSat, 13 Jun 2026 21:46:31 +0530https://www.pitara.com/non-fiction-for-kids/features-for-kids/onam-the-harvest-festival/Sun, 22 Aug 1999 00:18:26 +0000https://www.pitara.com/non-fiction-for-kids/features-for-kids/onam-the-harvest-festival/<p>The harvest festival of Kerala, Onam, falls on Shravan day in the month of August or September. After a lush harvest, Onam is the time for the farmers to celebrate the bounties of nature and make merry. Like most festivals of India, Onam too has a legend associated with it.</p> <p>The story goes: A long time ago an Asura king named Mahabali ruled Kerala. He was dearly loved by his subjects and was known to be a just and wise ruler. His popularity soon spread far and wide. Mahabali, however, incurred the wrath of the gods when, besides earth, he extended his rule to the heavens and the nether world. Indra, the king of gods, did not appreciate the growing power of the asura king. The gods approached Lord Vishnu the preserver in the Hindu trinity — to help them out of the situation and to curb the growing power of the asura king. Lord Vishnu in the guise of Vamana (a brahmin dwarf) approached Mahabali for alms. Now Mahabali was a very generous man. He told Vamana to ask for anything. The Vamana asked for three paces of land and the king agreed to it.</p>