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When is Onam 2026 and how is it celebrated in Kerala, the UAE and around the world?

thenationalnews.com · 4h · first reportShare

For 10 days this month, Onam celebrations will take place across the South Indian state of Kerala and among Malayali communities around the world – including in the UAE. The UAE's Malayali community is nearly one million strong, making it one of the largest Kerala diasporas in the Gulf, according to the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs. Keralites are estimated to account for about 55 per cent of Indian expatriates in the Emirates. The important Keralite harvest festival falls during Chingam, the first month of the Malayalam calendar, with its timing determined by that calendar rather than fixed Gregorian dates. This year, celebrations run from August 16, culminating in Thiruvonam on August 26. Although rooted in Hindu tradition, Onam has taken on such cultural significance that it is celebrated across religious communities in Kerala and throughout the Malayali diaspora. History of Onam The festival celebrates king Mahabali's return from the underworld. The mythological king