Tuesday 25 / August / 2026
Muscat: The expatriate community from Keralam is gearing up to celebrate Onam with gaiety and fervour across the Sultanate of Oman on Wednesday.
With hearts filled with nostalgia for Keralam, thousands of expatriates here are eagerly getting ready to welcome the festive spirit of Onam..
Across the Sultanate, cultural organisations, Indian Social Club chapters, community associations and business establishments have lined up a variety of celebrations in the coming weeks. Preparations are already in full swing, with colourful events planned in different regions of Oman.
For Ashok PK, a longtime Indian expatriate living in Oman, Onam is a time to return to his roots and celebrate the festival with family and friends in the home state.
Ashok is leaving Oman on Tuesday night to travel to India for the annual harvest festival, joining thousands of Malayalis who look forward to spending the festive season with their loved ones.
Speaking to Times of Oman, he said that returning home for Onam was a special occasion after spending much of his life away from Keralam.
The festival, celebrated with traditional feasts, cultural programmes and family gatherings, holds a special place in the hearts of the Malayali community, including those living and working in Oman.
For expatriates, Onam provides an opportunity to reconnect with family, childhood memories and traditions while enjoying the celebrations in their hometowns.
Ashok’s journey reflects the strong emotional connection many Indian expatriates in Oman maintain with Kerala, where Onam remains one of the most important occasions of the year.
This year, Thiruvonam falls on August 26 (Wednesday), with celebrations beginning on August 16 with Atham. All 10 days of the Onam celebration have their own significance. Also, the celebration marks the beginning of the New Year for the people of Kerala, popularly known as ‘Kolla Varsham’.
The concluding day of the 10-day-long Onam festival (Thiruvonam) is generally marked by gathering in their homes, enjoying the Onam feast and exchanging gifts.
Most of the hypermarkets and supermarkets in Oman are witnessing heavy crowds as families shop for flowers to create traditional floral carpets, known as Pookkalam. Expatriate families are also flocking to stores to purchase traditional attire, including kasavu sarees, mundus, and kurtas, as they wear traditional attire and give new clothes to family members and friends on this festive occasion.
Onam celebrations are also associated with values such as equality, justice, and a prosperous society. Societal cohesion, the rulers’ accountability to the people, and a more equal society are emphasised in the myths associated with Onam.
In Hindu tradition, it is believed that King Mahabali, the greatest king of Kerala, was banished from his own kingdom after the devas (gods) became envious of his popularity. To end Mahabali’s rule, Lord Vishnu took the Vaman avatar (dwarf Brahmin) and tricked the king into giving away all his land. After the King agreed to give everything to Vaman, King Mahabali was sent to a lower world, but he secured a boon from Lord Vishnu that he could visit his land once a year. The festival of Onam celebrates the homecoming of King Mahaballi.
