Muscat: The expatriate community from Keralam is gearing up to celebrate Onam with gaiety and fervour across the Sultanate of Oman on Wednesday. With hearts filled with nostalgia for Keralam, thousands of expatriates here are eagerly getting ready to welcome the festive spirit of Onam. Across the Sultanate, cultural organisations, Indian Social Club chapters, community associations and business establishments have lined up a variety of celebrations in the coming weeks. Preparations are already in full swing, with colourful events planned in different regions of Oman.This year, Thiruvonam falls on August 26 (Wednesday), with celebrations beginning on August 16 with Atham. All 10 days of the Onam celebration have their own significance. Also, the celebration marks the beginning of the New Year for the people of Kerala, popularly known as 'Kolla Varsham'.The concluding day of the 10-day-long Onam festival (Thiruvonam) is generally marked by gathering in their homes, enjoying the Onam feast and exchanging gifts.Most of the hypermarkets and supermarkets in Oman are witnessing heavy crowds as families shop for flowers to create traditional floral carpets, known as Pookkalam. Expatriate families are also flocking to stores to purchase traditional attire, including kasavu sarees, mundus, and kurtas, as they wear traditional attire and give new clothes to family members and friends on this festive occasion. Onam celebrations are also associated with values such as equality, justice, and a prosperous society. Societal cohesion, the rulers' accountability to the people, and a more equal society are emphasised in the myths associated with Onam.In Hindu tradition, it is believed that King Mahabali, the greatest king of Kerala, was banished from his own kingdom after the devas (gods) became envious of his popularity. To end Mahabali's rule, Lord Vishnu took the Vaman avatar (dwarf Brahmin) and tricked the king into giving away all his land. After the King agreed to give everything to Vaman, King Mahabali was sent to a lower world, but he secured a boon from Lord Vishnu that he could visit his land once a year. The festival of Onam celebrates the homecoming of King Mahaballi.