10-day Onam celebrations begin across India
The ten-day celebrations of the harvest festival Onam have begun in Kerala and other parts of the country on Wednesday. The festival, which falls during the Malayalam month of 'Chingam', commemorates the homecoming​ of King Mahabali. Traditional dance forms such as the 'Thiruvathirakali' are performed during the festival, while the 'Vallamkali' (snake boat race) event also takes place.