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Salutations and Greetings, Oh, our beloved King Mahabali,
Welcome to the homes of all Malayalees World over !
Please enjoy the welcome motif or the ‘Pookkalam ‘ the flower arrangements made with colorful flower petals in front of every house arranged by little girls and women of our houses!
Please enjoy our hospitality and savour the sweetmeat and delicious breakfast that every house makes in your honour.
Please be with the little children, girls and boys, in their plays while others in the house are preparing a sumptuous meal in your honor.
Please visit every house of Malayalees for whom this is a special day to welcome you to their houses to show their King how happily they live even today.
Please sit with the families and enjoy every dish that is served on the banana leaves including the ‘payasams’(sweet dish) and nod in appreciation of the ladies of the house who maintain tradition from the days of your rule.
Please be with the youth who are busy playing some country games and participate in the boat race etc. while elder people are busy visiting the neighbors/relatives and exchanging greetings to one another.
Please be around for another five days while people of your erstwhile kingdom celebrate your presence everywhere.
Because :-
During your reign you were the most famous king on earth that even the Gods got jealous of you on your popularity and prowess.
You were a benevolent king whose main concern was the welfare of his subjects
There was no poverty in your kingdom. Every one had enough to eat and no one slept hungry.
Every subject was equal and there was no economic disparity among people.
There was no theft or burglary. People could keep their doors open in the night.
There was no case of cheating. Honesty was the main character of people.
There was no rape of women. Women were respected and treated as equal.
There was no caste disparity. There was only one caste as humans.
There was no untouchability.
There was no exploitation of weak and poor.
Justice was true and done immediately.
Your kingdom was wealthy and people were rich.
You were a brave and chivalrous King who conquered other kingdoms. You even defeated the Gods that they were running in fear.
Lord Indra was scared that you would conquer the Heaven and dethrone him.
Indra ran to Lord Maha Vishnu and sought his help to save his throne, other Lords and the Heaven.
Reluctantly Lord Vishnu agreed knowing fully well that Mahabali was the Grandson of Bhakt Prahlad, His greatest disciple, for whose sake Maha Vishnu took the fourth Reincarnation of Narasimha.
Lord Maha Vishnu then took his fifth Reincarnation as Vamana , the Dwarf Bramhin.
Vamana appeared in front of Mahabali while the latter was performing Yagya to propitiate Gods before his next campaign on Heaven.
As per tradition, Mahabali welcomed Vamana with honor as his guest. He asked Vamana what he can do for him.
Vamana showed hesitancy in telling what he wanted. On insistence of Mahabali, Vamana taunted that Mahabali cannot give what he really wanted. Hearing this Mahabali took water in his hand and promised solemnly that he would give anything that is under his power.
Hearing this solemn promise, Vamana asked for Three steps long land. Mahabali immediately agreed to give land without doubting any deceit.
Vamana started growing in size towards the sky. He put one foot that covered the heaven. With the next step he covered the rest of the universe.
There was no place to keep the third step.
Mahabali realized that it was God in front of him and he has to keep his promise.
He bowed down in front of Vamana and requested the Lord to place his third step on his head.
Thus Vamana put his foot on the head of Mahabali and blessed him.
Lord Indra’s problem was solved. Now there was no claimant to his throne.
Mahabali asked Maha Vishnu what wrong he had done for such a punishment.
Maha Vishnu justified that with power and popularity, Mahabali had become Proud. ‘Pride ‘is not a virtue and is a curse. Lord wanted to give a lesson to Mahabali and the world.
Considering how a great King Mahabali was, Vishnu made him the King of ‘Suthaal’ ( not Pathaal) world which is under the Earth as per hindu mythology.
Mahabali was very sad to leave his people and go. Lord Vishnu who by then came to his real form gave a boon to Mahabali.
Mahabali could return to his Kingdom once in a year and be with his subjects
Thus Onam is the celebration by the people of Kerala to welcome Mahabali to his Kingdom and show him how happily they are living .A harmonious, reminiscence of forgone past.
Wish Malayalees World over a Happy Onam.
Colonel Ramesh R (Retd)
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