Pookalam: the Flower decoration and designs on Onam

So first thing that I should explain is what is Pookalam! But let me first build the background.

After shifting our base to south, I have indulged myself wholeheartedly in the festivals of South India. During Onam season, I waited impatiently to see the celebrations of Onam, the biggest festival of Keralait in our residential complex.

Festivals are the occasions for religious celebrations,exuberance, dancing and singing, and most importantly being together. India is the land of festivals, so much so that every day is a minor festival of sorts.

Some of the festivals are celebrated across India while others are specific to the states. Kerala, the hot spot tourism destination, the land of green and blue color has some extraordinary festivals, and Onam is their biggest festival.

The Story of Onam Festival

Onam is celebrated in the first Malayali month of Chingam which corresponds with August-September in English calendar. There are two legends associated with Onam, the legend of Lord Vishnu’s Vaman Avtar and king Mahabali who was the great-grandson of demonic Hiranykashyap (Bhakt Prahlad’s father) and another is the legend of Parasurama who created the land of Kerala by his axe.

However the first legend is quite popular and visible in the Onam celebrations, when Mahabli visits the land of Kerala and its people once very year at the time of Onam.

How is Onam celebrated in Kerala

Onam, like all other Indian festivals though being religious in nature, also coincide with rice harvesting. It is a ten-day long festival which is also a cultural festival of people of Kerala. Women wear their traditional Kasavu sari, also known as Kerala Sari and men wear Mundu.

Just like the Ganesh Chaturadshi where people bring and install Ganesh murtis, during Onam people install an statues of Thrikkakara Appan or Onatthappan which is Vishnu in the form of Vamana in their home.

The celebrations for festival of Onam include many religiuos ceremonies and poojas, many traditional dances like ThiruvathiraKali, Pulikali and Kathkali, the snake boat races, Onathallu (martial arts), Onam sadya which is a special and elaborate feast, and decorating homes with intricate Rangoli like Pookalams using only flower petals.

What is pookalam?

Pookalam’ consists of two words, ‘poov’ meaning flower and ‘kalam’ means colour sketches on the ground. It is considered auspicious to prepare Pookalam, also known as ‘Aththa-Poo’ during the festival of Onam. Pookkalams are one of the many rituals of Onam where mainly women delicately decorate their houses with flower rangolis.

Pookalams are only to be made using flower petals and no tea powder, color powders, pulses, grains, papers or any other thing is used. The scale and arrangement of colors and the artistic and delicate expressions of Pookalams make it the most beautiful event of Onam. It is a cousin of Rangoli and Mandana in North India and Kolam in Tamil Nadu.

Today, I take you to visit various Pookalams made during Onam.

Ten days of making Pookalams

Traditionally, the making of the Pookalam begins on the Atham day, ten days before Thiruonam. On the Atham day, only a single ring of flowers is made. The next day which is Chithira, there are two rings and finally on the Thiruonam day there are 10 rings. On the first day only a single colour flower is used, second day two colours and on the final day 10 different colors of flower is used.

Nowadays many Pookalam competitions are held across Kerala, just as various Jhanki competitions are held on the occasion of Janmashtami in north India.

Which flowers are used to make Pookalam

Thumba (Ceylon Slitwort): the small white flower, used extensively for its white color.

Jamanthi ( Marigold, Chrysanthemum): Jamanthi plays a crucial role in Pookkalams as they are availble in variety of colors and with many dark and light shades.

Chethi (Flame Of The Woods): Chethi, with its red colour, makes the Pookkalam appear vibrant and stunning.

Chemparathy (hibiscus): Like Chethi, Chemparathy, used to get the dark red colour in designs.

Shankupushpam (Butterfly Pea): Shankupushpam is one of the most prominent flowers in Onam Pookalams. It is of blue color.

Hanuman Kereedam (Red Pagoda Flower): It has red-orange flowers.

Mukkuthi (little tree plant): One of the most common flowers for Onam Pookkalam is Mukkuthi. Its dark yellow colour makes the design look more vibrant.

People also use many other flowers like rose, jasmine etc. to bring alive the design.

How to make Pookalam

Themes and designs range from religious and mythological scenes, Keralan life, boat race, patriotic expressions to simple geometric designs.

Teams buy Kilos and kilos of flowers. Then every hand avalable plucks the petals manually and sometimes pinch or cut these to make smaller pieces. That gives intricacy to the design. They also soak some of the petals overnight in water to darken the color to get shading effects. They pluck and separate different colors and hues and store it separately.

First the floor is cleaned and then the design is made on the floor with a chalk. Then starts the filling of design with different colored flowers. Filling starts with center and then spreads outwards but it depends upon the design. It may also start at the top and then graduating to bottom.

It takes ten to twelve hours of work by a team of 8-10 people to make a Pookkalam of 10 ft diameter. Lamps are placed in the center and/or around the Pookkalam. Statues of Maaveli(Mahabali) and Lord Vaman are also placed sometimes.

Making of Pookkalam is a joyous, colorful and fragrant event. It is animating to watch Pookkalams taking shape gradually. People sing and laugh and make the intricate and back-breaking job as light as the petals of the flowers.

As I earlier said, traditionally Pookkalams are made on the first day of the Onam and then added on with more flowers increasing in size and furthering the designs. However for Pookkalam competitions, people prepare it in one night.