Onam- the festival denoting the homecoming of the large-hearted and noble King Maha~Bali, the grandson of Prahlada;
the only one to rule the three Worlds- The three worlds that represents the three Guna’s, Sath, Rajo, Tamo Guna within each one of us;
the three realms: heaven - Satya to Bhuvar loka (head to belly), earth - Bhu loka (groin), underworld - Atala to Patala loka (legs).
The three worlds of Deva, the world of the Celestial; Manushya, the world of Humans; and Asuras, the wold of the world of the nether.
ensuring equality, safety and prosperity and peace for all.

A festival rediscovering the nobility of ‘Supreme Sacrifice’ or Maha~Bali';
Of ‘Unconditional Giving’, a nobility befitting the King of Hearts;

Onam festival is a reminder to balance the three ‘Guna-Dosha’ within us that ensures health and happiness, through the medicines of ‘Atma-Vichara’ or Self Enquiry for the Soul and Ayur-Veda for the body which houses the Immortal Soul.

Onam- A nature~inclusive & colourful festival with that celebrates the abundance of fresh harvest;
The arrival of the season ‘Vasantham’;
the reward for supreme self-sacrifice;
the cause for an Avtar;
and a case for redemption.

Attchamayam- the parade to the abode of Lord Vamana, the Dwarf Avatar of Vishnu , who’s act of measuring the Universe with 3 steps and blessing Maha Bali to rule the only world left for him to rule to become a ‘liberated soul’;

Featuring the culture of Kerala through elephant marches, drum beats, festival flag hoisting, folk art forms, colourfully decorated floats that depict scenes in Mahabaratha and Ramayana;

Pookkalam- floral carpets to beautify Mother Earth and welcoming the King, whose goodness ruled all three worlds;

Traditional Dances and Sports like Katha Kali, Thiruvathirakali, Pulikali, Kummattikali, Thumbi Thullal, Ona-thallu, Onappottan, Onam Kali and Vallam Kali-The Boat Race, in Celebration;

Onasadya - The Traditional Feast
A balanced food made with seasonal vegetables, with all the Six tastes of food- Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Pungent and Astringent.
So much to the wisdom of the sense of taste is a natural guidemap towards proper nutrition.

Let the divine guide and enlighten us to liberation from the misgiving of the three worlds.
Onam shows there is goodness everywhere, in every Heart.

According to this legend, credited to Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana, after Vishnu won the three worlds from the demon King Bali, he was asked by Bali that Vishnu live in his palace, a request Vishnu granted.
Vishnu's wife, Goddess Lakshmi did not like the palace or his new found friendship with Bali, and preferred that her husband and she return to Vaikuntha.
So she went to Bali, tied a Rakhi and made him a brother. Bali asked her what gift she desired. Lakshmi asked that Vishnu be freed from the request that he live in Bali's palace. Bali consented, as well accepted her as his sister.

This is the connection between Onam and Raksha Bandhan.

Happy Onam

Compilations of a Wanderer
09/09/2022
Vijayadasami
The day celebrating victory of Dharma over Adharma

The universal message that even the seemingly most powerful boon can become bane if used to pursue Adharma

Rama was born as a ‘human’ to negate the boon Ravana got that he cannot be killed by a Deva, Asura or Spirit.
The ‘Ego’ of Ravana that no Human would ever be a match to his might; no Bhaktha would ever be a match to him that even God himself should obey his wish;

that he was right in kidnapping the wife of another by deceit and in reaction, to avenge an insult and injury due to the ‘adharmic’ wish of his sister;

that he was the only one to master the Sixty-four Art forms other than the Supreme Mother Bhuvaneswari Devi;
and he could control the planets to align to create a time in space where his son Indrajit could be born as ‘one without death’;

That he didn’t heed to the advise of his Uththama Patni Mandodari to safely return Sītā back to Sri Rama;

Ravana invited a war

It took only one act of Pavana Suta, Anjana Putra Hanuman to burn his Maya Puri - Lanka

Ravana used maces, swords, spears and javelins to fight with Kubera's army of Yakshas.

Ravana uprooted the gate of Kubera's abode and killed the gatekeeper Suryabhanu with that.

Ravana used Varunastra to counter Kubera's Agneyastra.

Ravana used a gigantic club to defeat Kubera.

Ravana defeated king Marutta in archery wielding his large bow.

Ravana used his bare hands to kill Anaranya, the king of Ikshvaku dynasty.

Ravana used Pashupatastra to defeat Yama's army.

Ravana used his bow to fight a terrible battle with Yama for seven nights.

Ravana used weapons like spikes and darts to defeat Varuna's sons in a battle.

Ravana defeated Varuna's two commanders named Gou and Pushkara in archery.

Ravana used his bow to fight with Indra.

Ravana used his gigantic club to fight with Kartavirya Arjuna in a battle.

Ravana used his fists to fight with Vali.

Ravana used his fists to fight with Hanuman in the war against Lord Rama.

Ravana used Agneyastra to defeat Nila.

Ravana hurled Brahma's spear to make Laxmana unconscious in the battlefield.

Ravana invoked Tamasastra and killed countless apes of Sugriva's army.

Ravana invoked a personfied weapon of the asuras from which countless blazing arrows emerged. However, Lord Rama countered that weapon with Pavakastra.

Ravana fired Mayastra from which spears, clubs, maces, bludgeons and nooses emerged. Lord Rama countered Ravana's Mayastra with his own arrows.

Ravana invoked Sourastra from which blazing Chakras emerged. Lord Rama countered Sourastra with his Sudarshan Chakra.

Ravana possessed a large javelin adorned with eight bells which was constructed by Maya. Ravana used the javelin to make Laxmana unconscious again in the second encounter with him.

Ravana fired Gandharvastra which Lord Rama countered with his own Gandharvastra.

Ravana invoked Nagastra which Lord Rama countered with Garudastra.

Ravana finally resorted to illusion and brought down summits of trees and mountains. However Lord Rama shattered all of them with his arrows.

Ravana was finally brought down by Lord Rama's Brahmastra.

What we need to learn is that EGO justifies every act, it blinds righteousness, it fails to recognise the power of others, creation over us, it doesn’t let one surrender to the Supreme.

It took only one act of Pavana Suta, Anjana Putra Hanuman to burn his Maya Puri - Lanka

It took one Supreme Arrow Brahmastra of Sri Rama to behead Dasanana Ravana...

But Ravana had obtained a sword called Chandrahasa from Lord Shiva but he never used it ...

But the story of Ravana is entwined with the glory of Rama.

It was that the Parama Bhaktha of Shiva gets his Moksha at the hands of Vishnu.

Similarly, Mahishasura (Mahiśa meaning buffalos and Asura meaning demon) , or Buffalo Demons As an Asura, Mahishasura waged war against the Devas.
Mahishasura had gained the boon that no man could kill him.

In the battles between the godly and the demoniacs, the Devas, led by Indra, were defeated by Mahishasura. Subjected to their defeat, the Devas assemble in the mountains where their combined divine energies coalesce into goddess Durga.

The newborn Durga led a battle against Mahishasura, riding a lion and killed him. Thereafter she is named Mahishasuramardini, meaning The Killer of Mahishasura.

the festival is synonymous with "Rama Lila" and Dussehra that celebrates the battle and victory of god Rama over the demon king Ravana.[1] In southern states, the victory of different goddesses, of Rama or Saraswati is celebrated. In all cases, the common theme is the battle and victory of Good over Evil based on a regionally famous epic or legend such as the Ramayana or the Devi Mahatmya.[2][3]

Celebrations include stage decorations, recital of the legend, enacting of the story, and chanting of the scriptures.

The nine days are also a major crop season cultural event, such as competitive design and staging of pandals, a family visit to these pandals and the public celebration of classical and folk dances of Hindu culture.

On the tenth day, called the Vijayadashami or Dussehra, the statues are either immersed in a water body such as river and ocean, or alternatively the statue symbolizing the evil is burnt with fireworks marking evil's destruction.
The festival also starts the preparation for one of the most important and widely celebrated holidays, Diwali, the festival of lights, which is celebrated twenty days after the Vijayadashami or Dussehra.

Life Lessons of Navaratri and Vijaya Dasami.
The Nine nights of equalising the adharma within oneself and invoking the blessings of the Supreme in knowledge by surrendering to the Supreme force of Collective Consciousness with humility and gratitude.

AUM Sri Ganesha Sharada Gurubhyo Nama:

Happy Vijayadashami and Happy Vidyarambham