Every village square laid with flower carpets through the night. By 9 a.m. they are gone. You have to be there at six to know.
Across the ten days from Atham to Thiruvonam, Malayali households lay a carpet of flowers on the ground each morning, adding a ring a day. It is communal, quietly competitive, and swept away by evening.
Onam marks the annual return of the king Mahabali to see whether his people are still happy, which tells you most of what you need to know about how Kerala thinks about itself. The sadhya follows.
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A traditional Nalukettu tharavadu in Alleppey, hosted by the family who built it.
