🌼 Onam Pookalam Competition 2026 at LuLu Mall Trivandrum
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Want to see one of Onam's most beautiful traditions being created right in front of you? Head to LuLu Mall Trivandrum on August 24. 🌼
Birla Opus, together with Malayala Manorama, is organising Onathinu Varnnamekam, a large-scale competition dedicated to the traditional Kerala art of making pookalam - elaborate floral carpets associated with Onam.
Finals will take place in four Kerala cities, with the Thiruvananthapuram final happening at LuLu Mall on August 24. Twenty teams from Trivandrum will be selected for the on-ground competition.
🌼 What is a Pookalam?
A pookalam is a decorative floral arrangement traditionally created during Onam using flowers and leaves.
You will see them everywhere in Kerala at this time of year - in front of homes, hotels, temples, shops and public buildings.
At LuLu Mall, however, the teams will be taking the tradition rather seriously.
Each team receives a 4 ft × 4 ft space and has a maximum of three hours to complete its design. Only natural materials such as flowers and leaves may be used; artificial flowers, ready-made templates and pre-drawn sketches are prohibited. The organisers will provide commonly used flowers at the venue.
The entries will be judged on tradition, creativity, aesthetic appeal, neatness, teamwork and colour composition.
👀 Not Competing? It Is Still Worth Seeing
For most visitors, this may actually be the most interesting part.
With 20 teams creating their pookalams live, you can watch piles of flowers gradually turn into intricate geometric and traditional designs - a particularly accessible way to experience Onam culture while in Trivandrum.
The organisers do not list any separate spectator registration requirements, so we would treat it as an interesting event to catch while visiting LuLu Mall during the Onam season.
Anusree is also scheduled to be present at the prize ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram.
🏆 Prizes
The Trivandrum winners receive:
🥇 ₹20,000 - First Prize 🥈 ₹15,000 - Second Prize 🥉 ₹10,000 - Third Prize
One Mega Winner selected across all four cities receives ₹1,00,000.
Want to Take Part?
Participation is free. All participants must be 18 or older, with 5-7 people per team including the captain.
📝 Registration closes August 22 📣 Finalists announced August 23 🌼 On-ground final - August 24
📞 Organiser helpline: +91 73566 06921 📅 August 24, 2026 📍 LuLu Mall Thiruvananthapuram
LuLu Mall itself is generally open 10:00 AM-10:00 PM, but check the official competition page before travelling specifically for the event.
Why Go
It is an easy way to see a genuine Onam tradition happening live, without travelling outside the city or navigating a specialist cultural venue.
And August 24 is also the opening day of Trivandrum's Onam Tourism Week, so this could easily become the first stop of a full Onam day in the city.
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