Every year, the Malayali community throughout the world celebrates Onam, Kerala's most respected and renowned holiday. The 10-day celebration commemorates the start of the harvest season, as well as the arrival of Lord Vishnu's Vaman avatar and the return of king Mahabali. In many places, the celebration starts on Atham (Hasta) nakshatra and concludes on Thiruvonam (Shravana) nakshatra, extending till Uthrattathi nakshatra.
This year, the harvest festival began on august 12 and will conclude on august 23. The 10 days of the festival are named on the names of astrological stars as per the malayalam calendar. Yet today is another auspicious day too. The spiritual leader and social reformer sree Narayana Guru jayanthi is celebrated.
Today the state observed the 167th birth anniversary of spiritual leader and social reformer sree Narayana Guru. His birthday falls on the Chathayam day of Chingam month that is today. Celebrations were held across the state including his birthplace Chempazhanthy and at his tomb in Sivagiri.
Usually every year there was a huge rally held with people from different parts of the state joining trivandrum to Varkala. Due to the covid protocols for the last two years, there were no such grant rallies held.