Onam (Thiruvonam) 2026

Onam (Thiruvonam) 2026 is on Wednesday, 26 August 2026.

Onam (Thiruvonam) 2026 date in major cities

About Onam (Thiruvonam)

Onam, the national festival of Keralam, is an annual harvest and Hindu cultural festival celebrated mostly by the people of Keralam and is traditionally associated with the legend of the benevolent Asura King Mahabali, who once ruled Keralam, returning each year to visit his people. A major annual event for Malayalis, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. In 1961, during the tenure of Chief Minister Pattom Thanu Pillai, Onam was officially declared the national festival of Keralam.

Hindu mythology

Onam commemorates the return of the generous daitya king Mahabali after he was banished to the netherworld by Vamana. According to the Hindu legends, after Indra is defeated by Mahabali, the devas ultimately seek refuge in Vishnu, who agrees to restore Indra to power. To do so, Vishnu incarnates as a dwarf priest called Vamana. Mahabali conducts ritual prayers, one of which is attended by Vamana, who requests only three feet of land to build a fire-altar. Mahabali agrees, despite being told about Vamana's divine nature by the sage Shukra. Vamana grows in size, and in three strides, encompasses all of the universe and beyond. The three worlds are restored to Indra, and Mahabali and the asuras are banished to the netherworld. However, witnessing Mahabali's love for his subjects, Vamana grants the king's sole wish to visit his kingdom once every year.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), shortened.

Other years: Onam (Thiruvonam) 2027

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Updated: 2026-10-18 · Calculated for the place shown, with Lahiri ayanamsha. How we calculate