Onam, celebrated in the southern Indian state of Keralam, is a traditional festival that brings families, relatives, and communities together. Rooted in the celebration of the season’s first rice harvest, it unfolds over ten days as a time of thanksgiving and communal festivity. Throughout the season, people exchange greetings of “Happy Onam,” wishing family, friends, and neighbors well-being, happiness, and prosperity. Held each year between August and September, Onam falls in Chingam, the first month of the Malayalam calendar and the beginning of the Malayalam year. Hindu mythology adds another layer of meaning to the festival, with King Mahabali believed to return to earth each year to visit his people. Onam thus also serves as a welcoming celebration for the returning king.

In Keralam, August 25–28 are the designated public holidays for Onam in 2026. The period around Onam is marked by a variety of festivities, including the grand Athachamayam procession, Pulikali tiger dance, and Vallamkali snake boat races. Kummattikali, a signature masked dance performed in villages during Onam, features local residents in grass costumes to add color and festive energy to the celebrations.

In September 2025, the National Folk Museum of Korea visited the Thrissur region of Keralam to study the Onam festival and collect related materials. Blending the traditions of a major holiday with local religion, mythology, and harvest thanksgiving, Onam has a distinctive cultural character. Its seasonal timing, expressions of gratitude to deities and ancestors, and tradition of sharing special foods also echo aspects of Korea’s Chuseok holiday.
Building on its 2025 presentation of the Rio Carnival in Brazil, the 2026 edition of The World in the Storage brings together a range of objects from Onam celebrations in the Thrissur region, including masks used in Kummattikali performances. The exhibition invites visitors to explore both the cultural resonance that connects India and Korea and the distinctive qualities of each tradition.

*The state of Kerala is currently in the process of being renamed “Keralam,” with final legal procedures underway. Following consultation with the Indian Cultural Centre in Korea, this exhibition uses the name “Keralam.”

A Pookkalam is a circular floral arrangement made from fresh flower petals and placed at the entrance of homes during the Onam festival. In Malayalam, poo means “flower” and kalam refers to a design drawn on the ground. The tradition is rooted in decorating the path to welcome King Mahabali, who is believed to return from the underworld during Onam. Apart from its circular form and use of wild or cultivated flowers, the Pookkalam follows no fixed rules governing pattern or size, allowing each household or community to create its own distinctive design. Throughout the festival, villages across Keralam hold Pookkalam competitions, showcasing a vivid array of floral designs.

Thrikkakara Appan and Ashtamangalyam are principal ritual objects used during Onam to pray for abundance and blessings. Thrikkakara Appan is a clay or paper figure representing Vamana, an avatar of Vishnu, though in some regions it is also said to represent King Mahabali. It may be placed beside the Pookkalam among floral decorations or ritually cleansed by pouring water mixed with rice flour over it to welcome the deity. Ashtamangalyam generally consists of several sacred brass objects, including an oil lamp, pitcher, and vessel. A wick is lit in the lamp, while harvested grains such as rice are placed in the vessel. Through these rituals, families and communities share in the joy of abundance.

Sadya is a special feast enjoyed during Onam as well as special occasions such as weddings and temple rituals. It is made primarily with coconuts and bananas, two of Keralam’s best-known local products. Served on a banana leaf, the meal centers on rice accompanied by some twenty dishes, including vegetable courses, curries, and sweets. The dishes are traditionally mixed together and eaten by hand. Sharing a Sadya expresses gratitude for a bountiful harvest and reaffirms the bonds of family and community.

Kummattikali is a traditional mask dance of Keralam, performed mainly during Onam. Masked performers make their way through village lanes, delighting residents with their song and dance. Its exact origins are unknown, but oral tradition holds that the name combines kummatti, referring to a festival or observance associated with the Hindu god Shiva, and kali, meaning “play” or “dance.” Another theory traces the name to kummatti pullu, the grass traditionally used to make the performers’ costumes. Today, Kummattikali takes two forms: a traditional style performance reminiscent of Korea’s Jisinbapgi and a vibrant modern parade.
In the Thrissur region, Kummattikali performances depict episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as the ritual farewell to King Mahabali as he returns to the underworld after visiting his former kingdom. The masks take the forms of gods, humans, and animals, many representing figures from Hindu mythology and epics such as the Ramayana.
Kummattikali costumes are woven from plant materials. Traditionally, they were made primarily from parpataka pullu, also known as kummatti pullu. As this grass is now difficult to obtain, performers commonly use green-dyed ramacham roots, silver oak leaves, or dried banana leaves instead.