SSC
The Onam festival of Kerala is associated with the legend of which king?
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Answer: Option A — King Mahabali
Detailed Solution
Onam, the most important festival of Kerala, celebrates the annual homecoming of King Mahabali (also called Maveli), a legendary demon (asura) king who once ruled Kerala. It is also a harvest festival, celebrated in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August-September).
According to the legend, Mahabali was a generous and just king, and under his rule the land was prosperous and happy, with no poverty, no crime and no inequality. His growing power worried the gods, who asked Lord Vishnu for help. Vishnu took the form of Vamana, a small Brahmin boy, and asked Mahabali for a gift of land that he could cover in three steps. When the king agreed, Vamana grew to an enormous size. With his first step he covered the earth, and with his second the heavens. Having no more space, Mahabali offered his own head for the third step, and Vamana pushed him down into the underworld (Patala). Because of his devotion and goodness, Vishnu granted him the wish to visit his people once a year. Onam celebrates this visit.
Onam is celebrated for about ten days, from the day of Atham to Thiruvonam, the most important day. People decorate the front of their homes with floral carpets called pookalam, which grow larger every day. On Thiruvonam, families prepare the Onasadya, a grand vegetarian feast with many dishes served on a banana leaf. The festival includes the Vallam Kali (snake boat races), the Pulikali (tiger dance), the Kaikottikali (a dance by women) and games. Onam is celebrated by people of all communities in Kerala and is the state festival.
Why not the other options?
- ✗King Ravana is the demon king of Lanka in the Ramayana, whose defeat is celebrated at Dussehra.
- ✗King Harishchandra is a legendary king known for his truthfulness.
- ✗King Bharata is the legendary emperor after whom India is called Bharat.
Quick tip
Remember: Onam = King Mahabali, Vamana, the month of Chingam, the pookalam and the Onasadya.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.