Onam 2026: How Onam is redefining heritage with bold flavours and modern weaves

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Artists dressed in traditional costumes take part in the ‘Athachamayam’ procession, which marks the official beginning of the ten-day Onam festival celebrations at Thrippunithura, in Kochi, Sunday, August 16, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI

As Onam 2026 approaches, here is our curated guide from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Chennai, Coimbatore, and Bengaluru covering everything from elaborate restaurant thalis to convenient takeaway sadya boxes.

We consult chefs on how they are reimagining the traditional sadya; we ask celebrities how they are honouring the old traditions.

We also speak to fashion designers and women-led artisan collectives on their Onam collections. Keralam’s harvest festival is getting deconstructed from its predictable avatar with designers spotlighting fresh perspectives and imagery related to Onam in their new collections.

Scroll on for our full curation of Onam 2026 stories — food, fashion, and festivities across India.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.