Hindu festival · San Francisco Bay Area

Onam / Thiruvonam

Vishnu Kerala Major regional festival Vamana / Mahabali

Dates for the Bay Area

  • Wednesday, 26 August 2026Major regional festival
  • Sunday, 12 September 2027Major regional festivalnext
  • Friday, 1 September 2028Major regional festival
Traditions differ. What follows describes common practice, not the only correct practice. Observance varies by region, sampradāya and family, and Sri Kumar Gurukkal will follow your family’s tradition. Our editorial & ritual standards →

Why it matters

Kerala’s major harvest and homecoming festival celebrates abundance, community and the remembered return of the righteous King Mahabali; it is also linked to Vishnu’s Vamana avatar.

The story behind it

The ten-day Onam season begins at Atham and builds toward Thiruvonam with pookalam, festive meals, worship and cultural events.

Prayers and worship

Families may worship Vamana/Vishnu, create pookalam flower designs, offer prayers for prosperity and share the Onasadya feast.

Fasting and devotional customs

Fasting and household customs vary; follow the temple or family tradition for this observance.

What is typically offered

Pookalam flowers, lamps, seasonal produce and the multi-course vegetarian Onasadya.

Visiting a temple that day

Onam is both religious and broadly cultural. Temple and community programs may include music, dance and communal meals.

Spiritual themes

Hospitality, equality, abundance, gratitude and community.

Request this pooja

Ask Sri Kumar Gurukkal about a pooja for Onam / Thiruvonam — at your home, at a temple, or with family joining remotely. A request is an enquiry, not a booking.

Request a pooja Add 26 Aug 2026 to calendar

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Related festivals

KanumaMattu PongalHolika DahanHoliUgadiAll Onam cycle dates
← NuakhaiPana Sankranti → Full festival calendar

The 2026–27 dates were compiled from a Northern-California Panchāṅgam reference for the Fremont / Bay Area location. The 2028 date is computed by this site’s own engine from the festival’s standard definition, tested against the 2026–27 dates: the Shravana nakṣatra in the Siṃha solar month, by the aparāhṇa — sunrise plus ⅗ of daylength rule, judged at the tithi at sunrise (udaya-vyāpinī). No 2028 date has been checked against a printed almanac or reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal. They can differ from a calendar computed for another city or another sampradāya. Please confirm any date on which you plan a ceremony with Sri Kumar Gurukkal. How these dates are calculated →