Thiru Onam eve shopping fervour, Uthrada Pachil, peaks in Kerala on Thursday

Keralites thronged markets, malls, and textile shops on Thursday in a feverish last-minute hunt for must-have items and bargains on the eve of Thiru Onam, the State’s most important festival. The holiday spirit was particularly evident at the iconic Chalai Market in Thiruvananthapuram, Broadway in Kochi, and S.M.

Street in Kozhikode. The tradition of Uthrada Pachil - the concluding shopping frenzy on the day before Thiru Onam - appeared to endure strongly across Kerala. Business was brisk at the long rows of flower, vegetable, and grocery shops in the nearly two-century-old Chalai market.

Asokan, a wholesale vegetable trader who also supplies to prominent hotels in Thiruvananthapuram, said the Onam demand had marginally pushed up the price of perishables. “Growers in neighbouring States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu slightly delay supplies, anticipating the massive upswing in requirement during Onam, resulting in higher prices.

However, the price escalation this season is at a lesser degree compared to past years,” he said. Pottuvelu Subramanian, head of one of the oldest trading houses in Kerala, stated that the prices of green gram, jaggery, sugar, food grains, thoovar dal, dried chilli, urad dal, and other groceries were at an all-time low.

“Kharif harvest was abundant this year. Moreover, the supply chain remained robust with no challenges, including strikes, to freight movement. There has been a minimum 15% overall reduction in the price of groceries,” he said.

Mr. Subramanian noted that business appeared lower for small-scale retailers, with an increasing segment of urban shoppers opting for malls and supermarkets. Arulakam Prem, proprietor of one of the oldest vegetarian hotels in Thiruvananthapuram, said coconut oil prices had remained at an all-time high, forcing restaurateurs to shift to less expensive edible oils.

“Suppliers have jacked up coconut oil prices by at least ₹80 per litre. However, a rich harvest and optimal climate have caused the price of plantains and banana leaves, both much in demand during Onam, to remain stable,” he said.

Upscale malls, car and motorbike showrooms, and retail chains transformed their premises into Onam wonderlands, complete with artists dressed as Mahabali, the mythical king and festival mascot. At many textile showrooms, traditional performances, including Kathakali, Theyyam, and Chenda Melam, drew crowds.

Streets were abuzz with pavement vendors selling toys, affordable apparel, trinkets, imitation jewellery, and announcing pocket-friendly bargains. Onam also marks a revival of agrarian traditions. Resident associations and youth clubs set up swings and organised feats of strength such as tug-of-war, pole climbing, and log pillow fights.

Conventional games including kuttiyum kolum, ola panthu, and uri adi also saw a brief resurgence. Floral arrangements (athapoo) and swings remain characteristic of the season. Onam invokes a yearning for a prosperous and egalitarian utopia under the mythical reign of King Mahabali.

According to legend, the gods, jealous of his just rule, cast him into the netherworld but allowed him to visit his subjects on Thiru Onam day each year. For many Keralites, the holiday signifies the passage of seasons and carries the promise of joyful reunions with friends and families in the years ahead.