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Legend | Rituals | Onasadya | Onakalikal

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Kutukutu is an another popular and simple game in which two groups participate. A lot of spectators watch the game with enthusiasm. A line drawn at the centre divides the court into two, with outer lines drawn at the edges making the whole court a rectangle. One man from one group advances from the middle line towards the opponent's area uttering "kutu". Kutu Kutu Kutu...... in one continuous breath and rushes to the line of the opponents trying to touch them and run back to the central line without being caught. If he is physically caught and his breath goes out  he is defeated.

Mirth and hilarity mark the life of the female members of the Tarawad during the Onam season. Young maidens decked in their gayest and finest attire and wearing beautiful and costly jewels spend the days in dancing and singing. The dancing is peculiar. They stand in a circle and dance. The evolutions are pretty and in keeping with the harmony of the vocal music. One of them leads off by singing the first couplet of a song which is caught up by the others in equally melodious and profuse strains. The leader then sings the second couplet followed by others as before and so on until the whole song is exhausted. When one strain is over another is set up and the singing and dancing is continuous till the shades of evening fall. The whole surrounding atmosphere of many a leading household is filled by the melody of the charming choir of lady singers adding to the jollity and attractiveness of the occasion all around.

 On the last day the images set up are removed at an auspicious moment. Preliminary to this Puja is offered and the removal is announced by the rhythmic shouting with which they were installed. 

The Vallamkali boat race is one of the outstanding attractions of Onam and the best spectacles are to be seen at Aranmula and Kottayam where the palm-fringed lagoons lend great charm to the event. Huge and graceful boats, each rowed rhythmically by about a hundred oarsmen race to the beat of cymbals and drums that are carried in the boats and the songs sung are typical in character. Above each boat, gleam scarlet silk umbrellas, their number denotes the affluence of the family owning the boat. Gold coins and tassels hang from the umbrellas.

The Vallam Kali (boat race) at Chambakkulam recalls a boat journey on the river 'pampa' with the icon to be consecrated in the famous Sri Krishna temple at Ambalapuzha. It symbolises a game of popular involvement. At Aranmula, another Sri Krishna temple, there is a boat game which is unique in its processional character. The Vallamkali at Aranmula falls during the festival days of Onam. The most significant and popular boat race known as 'Nehru Trophy' was inaugurated in 1952  by the first Prime Minister of India. Nehru Trophy is the most colourful water sport. It is conducted at Punnamada lake in Alleppey on the second Saturday of every August. It attract thousands of people from all over the world. The ritual game is now totally changed into a modern sport. There are different varieties of boats which participate in this game. The most prominent among them is snake boat (chundan vallam) with its high rear. Chundan look majestic with boat men sitting on either side. The other types of the country boats which participate in the game are made with great artistic perfection for gaining speed while used in race.