While the popular version is the socially accepted one today amongst Malayalees and non- Malayalees there abounds plenty of other theories for the origin of Onam in the form of myths, rituals and folklore.
Buddhism was popular in Kerala in ancient times before the onset of Brahminical Hinduism. It is said that a Buddhist king instituted the custom of Onam with the alienation of Buddhism and the arrival of Aryan religion in Kerala. Two points must be remembered here to understand this in the proper context. One, Buddhism was seen as a challenge to Brahminical HIndusim. Secondly, there is no parallel in world history where the elimination of one religion at the hands of another religion is ‘celebrated’.
William Logan states in his famous ‘Malabar Manual’ that Onam was celebrated as the start of the New Year in the Malabar region (Northern districts on modern day Kerala). According to Logan Thiruvonam was the day when the king Cheraman Perumal started his journey to Mecca after his conversion to Islam. This event is almost a replica of the Mahabali version. Cheraman Perumal was a popular king in Kerala and his conversion to Islam and subsequent journey to Mecca without returning to rule his kingdom can be seen as an exile similar to Mahabali’s plight.
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