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Hindu Festival · 2028 · All Years Guide

Onam 2028

The harvest festival of Kerala, welcoming King Mahabali.

Gregorian dateSeptember 1, 2028
Day of weekFriday
PanchangThiruvonam in Chingam month
ReligionHinduism

In 2028, Onam falls on Friday, September 1, 2028. Regional panchang authorities — including the Vakya, Drik, and Surya Siddhanta traditions — may calculate the precise tithi differently, with some communities observing the festival one day earlier or later than the date shown.

Significance of Onam

Onam is the largest cultural and harvest festival of the South Indian state of Kerala, traditionally observed by Malayali Hindus, Christians, and Muslims alike as a shared cultural celebration. The festival commemorates the annual return of the legendary King Mahabali, an asura ruler whose reign was so just and prosperous that the gods grew envious of his popularity. According to Vaishnavite legend, Lord Vishnu in his Vamana avatar requested three paces of land from Mahabali, then expanded into cosmic proportions and pushed the king down to the netherworld of Patala, granting him only the boon of returning to visit his beloved subjects once each year. Onam falls on the asterism of Thiruvonam in the Malayalam month of Chingam (typically August or September) and the celebrations span ten days from Atham to Thiruvonam.

Traditions and Observances

Households decorate their courtyards with elaborate pookalam — circular floral carpets crafted from fresh flowers and arranged in intricate concentric patterns that grow larger each day of the ten-day festival. The grand Onam Sadhya feast is served on a banana leaf and consists of twenty-six or more vegetarian dishes including sambhar, rasam, pulissery, avial, thoran, kalan, olan, pachadi, kichadi, mango pickle, lime pickle, papadum, two payasams, and steamed rice — eaten in a traditional sequence that tradition prescribes. The Vallam Kali snake-boat races on the Pampa, Punnamada, and other backwater rivers feature canoes carrying over a hundred rowers competing in synchronized rhythm. Kaikottikali clap dancing by women in traditional kasavu sarees and Pulikali tiger dance performances by men painted as tigers fill village squares.

Onam 2028 — At a Glance

If you are planning travel, scheduling community events, requesting time off work, or simply marking your family calendar for 2028, the table below summarises every key detail for Onam this year, alongside the surrounding observances on either side of the festival in the Hindu lunar calendar.

Detail2028
Gregorian dateSeptember 1, 2028
Day of weekFriday
Panchang referenceThiruvonam in Chingam month
TraditionHinduism (regional variations across panchang traditions)

Regional Observance

Kerala observes Onam as a state festival with four days of public holidays, government-organized cultural programs, and the prestigious Aranmula Snake Boat Race attracting over two hundred thousand spectators each year. Tamil Nadu's Malayali community, Karnataka's Mangalore region, and Sri Lanka's Tamil-Malayali community all observe Onam with sadhya feasts and pookalam decorations. Indian diaspora communities in the Gulf countries — particularly the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain — celebrate Onam in expatriate clubs and Indian schools with sadhya feasts that have grown into major social events. Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom host Onam celebrations organized by Kerala associations.

Onam Across the Years 2024–2030

The Islamic Hijri calendar is a purely lunar calendar of approximately 354 days, so its observances drift forward by roughly 10–11 days each Gregorian year. The Hindu lunar calendar uses periodic intercalary months (adhik maas) that keep festivals broadly anchored to the seasons. The table below shows the Gregorian date of Onam across every year HijriHub covers, allowing you to plan multi-year commemorations, anniversaries, or research at a glance.

YearGregorian dateDay
2024September 15, 2024Sunday
2025September 5, 2025Friday
2026August 26, 2026Wednesday
2027September 14, 2027Tuesday
2028September 1, 2028Friday
2029August 22, 2029Wednesday
2030September 9, 2030Monday

How HijriHub calculates Onam 2028

Our Hindu festival dates are compiled from the Drik Panchang almanac authority, cross-checked against regional panchang publications including the Mahesh Dharmik Panchang and the Indian government's National Calendar. For festivals tied to specific tithis, nakshatras, or yogas, the date listed corresponds to the day on which the festival is most widely observed in North India under the Drik tradition. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Karnataka follow the Vakya tradition that may shift the observance by a day. Bengal's Vishuddha Siddhanta and the lunisolar calendars of Maharashtra and Gujarat occasionally differ. Always confirm with your family priest or local temple before finalising ritual plans.

Other Years

Other Holidays in September 2028