Onam Sadhya Keeps Kerala’s Secular Festival and Families Together

Onam is a major festival celebrated in Kerala.

A special meal called Sadhya is one of its most important traditions.

It usually has 26 different foods served on a banana leaf.

The meal includes rice, vegetables, pickles, snacks and sweet payasams.

Families often come together to eat it, even when relatives live far away.

Onam is celebrated by people across different castes, religions and social groups.

Many large joint families no longer live together as they once did.

Caterers and hotels now prepare Sadhya for people who cannot cook it at home.

Whether eaten at home or ordered in a box, the feast remains a central part of Onam.