https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Irupathiyetttam_OnamIrupathiyetttam Onam - Revision history2026-10-26T23:52:24ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irupathiyetttam_Onam&diff=504722&oldid=prevAmit00: adding new info.2026-02-11T10:38:41Z<p>adding new info.</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Post-harvest cattle festival in Onattukara, Kerala, India}}<br />
{{More citations needed|date=February 2026}}<br />
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{{Infobox recurring event<br />
| name = Irupathiyettam Onam<br />
| native_name = {{lang|ml|ഇരുപത്തിയെട്ടാം ഓണം}}<br />
| native_name_lang = ml<br />
| genre = Cultural, Harvest<br />
| begins = 28th day after [[Thiruvonam]]<br />
| location = [[Oachira]], [[Kollam district]], [[Kerala]]<br />
| venue = [[Oachira Temple|Oachira Parabrahma Temple]]<br />
| status = Active<br />
}}<br />
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'''Irupathiyettam Onam''' (ഇരുപത്തിയെട്ടാം ഓണം; lit. "Twenty-Eighth Onam") is a post-harvest festival celebrated in the [[Onattukara]] region of [[Kerala]], India. The event occurs exactly 28 days after [[Thiruvonam]], the primary day of the [[Onam]] festival. The celebration is defined by the '''Oachira Kalakettu''', a ritual involving the procession of bull effigies to the [[Oachira Temple|Oachira Parabrahma Temple]]<ref name="KT_Kalakettu">{{cite web |title=Ochira Kalakettu of Ochira Parabrahma Temple |url=https://www.keralatourism.org/kerala-article/2018/ochira-kalakettu/842 |website=Kerala Tourism |access-date=11 February 2026}}</ref>.<br />
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== Significance and customs ==<br />
The festival is traditionally categorized as the "Onam of the cattle" and is linked to the agrarian history of the region<ref name="KT_Kalavela">{{cite web |title=Oachira Kalavela - Onam Rituals |url=https://www.keralatourism.org/onam/onam-rituals/ochira-kalavela |website=Kerala Tourism |access-date=11 February 2026}}</ref>. It functions as a ritualistic thanksgiving to livestock for their role in the preceding harvest cycle. Unlike the standard Onam celebrations that commemorate the legend of [[Mahabali]], Irupathiyettam Onam emphasizes the socio-economic relationship between the farming community and their cattle<ref name="DTPC">{{cite web |title=Oachira Parabrahma Temple |url=https://www.dtpckollam.com/destination/oachira-parabrahma-temple |website=DTPC Kollam |access-date=11 February 2026}}</ref>.<br />
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=== Kalakettu ritual ===<br />
The central feature of the festival is the '''Kalakettu''' (lit. "tying of the bull"). Local administrative units known as ''karas'' sponsor and construct large-scale effigies of bulls, known as ''Kettu Kaalakal''<ref name="KT_Kalakettu"/>.<br />
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* '''Construction:''' The effigies are built using a framework of wood and bamboo, layered with straw, and covered in white or colored cloth<ref name="DTPC"/>. Decorations typically include traditional ornaments, mirrors, and fabric hangings.<br />
* '''Procession:''' These effigies are mounted on wheeled platforms and pulled by residents to the temple grounds. The height of the effigies can exceed 30 feet, representing the resources of the sponsoring ''kara''<ref name="Hindu_Kala">{{cite news |title=Grand finale to Oachira festival today |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/grand-finale-to-oachira-festival-today/article7856721.ece |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=8 November 2015 |access-date=11 February 2026}}</ref>.<br />
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=== Venue ===<br />
The festival culminates at the '''[[Padanilam]]''' (battlefield), an open ground surrounding the Oachira Parabrahma Temple. The temple is noted for the absence of a traditional sanctum sanctorum, as it is dedicated to the concept of [[Brahman|Para Brahma]]<ref name="KTI">{{cite web |title=Oachira Parabrahma Temple |url=https://keralatemples.info/temple-details/oachira-parabrahma-temple |website=Kerala Temples Info |access-date=11 February 2026}}</ref>. During the festival, the bull effigies are presented at the site as a symbolic offering, aligning agricultural traditions with the temple's spiritual framework<ref name="Onam_Rituals">{{cite web |title=Oachira Kalavela |url=https://www.keralatourism.org/onam/onam-rituals/ochira-kalavela |website=Kerala Tourism |access-date=11 February 2026}}</ref>.<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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[[Category:Festivals in Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:Harvest festivals in India]]<br />
[[Category:Kollam district]]</div>Amit00