Onam is Kerala’s national festival and is related to the mythological King Mahabali and the harvest traditions of Kerala. During the festival days, one would come across beautifully laid out floral designs or atha pookalam in the front yards of homes in Kerala. Spectacular boat races, like the Aranmula boat race as shown in this video and a lot of folk, ritual art forms and traditional games, make Onam a people’s festival.