Onam is Kerala's biggest festival — ten days of flowers, food, family and new clothes, culminating in Thiruvonam in late August 2026. It's also ten days that reward planning: the sadhya ingredients, the onakkodi (new clothes), the snacks for guests, the gifts. This guide covers everything worth buying and exactly when to buy it.
What Do You Need to Buy for Onam?
Five categories cover almost everything:
- Onakkodi (new clothes) — kasavu sarees, set mundu, kids' pavada sets, family matching outfits. New clothes on Thiruvonam morning are the heart of the festival.
- Sadhya provisions — rice, coconut, jaggery, banana chips, sharkkara varatti, pappadam and the vegetables for a dozen-plus dishes.
- Snacks for guests — Onam week means visitors. Banana chips, jackfruit chips, tapioca chips, coconut chips, and murukku disappear fast.
- Gifts and hampers — for relatives, neighbours, colleagues, and increasingly for family abroad.
- Pookalam flowers and decor — usually bought fresh and local in the final days.
Week-by-Week Onam 2026 Shopping Timeline
| When | What to buy | Why now | |------|-------------|---------| | Mid-July | Family onakkodi, especially kids' sizes | Best selection; time for stitching and exchanges | | Late July | Gift hampers for family abroad | International shipping lead time | | Early August | Adults' kasavu, set mundu | Standard delivery window still comfortable | | Mid-August | Snacks, chips, sharkkara varatti | Fresh batches, arrives before the rush | | Onam week | Fresh flowers, vegetables, last-minute items | Bought fresh and local |
The single most common Onam shopping mistake: waiting until mid-August to buy kids' clothes. Popular sizes in set mundu and pattu pavada sell out first, every year.
Choosing the Onakkodi
For women, the choice is between kasavu saree, mundum neriyathum, and pavada davani — our Onam 2026 women's dress guide covers this in depth. For men, a kasavu mundu with a gold-border shirt or simple kurta is the classic. For kids, matching family sets have become the modern tradition — one border colour across everyone's outfits.
Start with our traditional wear categories and filter by size and budget.
The Snack Table: What to Stock
A proper Onam snack spread balances the traditional and the new:
- Banana chips (upperi) — non-negotiable. Fried in coconut oil, thin-cut, lightly salted.
- Sharkkara varatti — jaggery-coated banana chips, the sweet counterpart.
- Jackfruit chips — seasonal favourite, sweeter crunch.
- Vacuum fried chips — the modern option with 30–50% less oil, great for health-conscious guests. (Curious how they're made? Read our vacuum frying explainer.)
- Murukku and mixture — for the savoury corner of the table.
Order snacks 1–2 weeks before Onam week so they arrive fresh and you're not competing with peak courier volumes.
Onam Gifting: Hampers That Travel Well
Kerala snack hampers have become the default Onam gift for colleagues and for family outside Kerala. A good hamper combines chips (2–3 varieties), sharkkara varatti, banana halwa, and something savoury. For family in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai or Delhi, order by mid-August; for relatives in the Gulf, businesses can arrange bulk festival supplies through our wholesale program.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Thiruvonam in 2026? Thiruvonam falls in the last week of August 2026. The ten-day festival begins with Atham roughly ten days earlier.
How early should I order Onam clothes online? By early August for delivery anywhere in India. Kerala addresses have a few extra days of buffer. Kids' sizes: order in July.
What is the most popular Onam gift? Kerala snack hampers, followed by kasavu sarees. For corporate gifting, chips-and-sweets boxes in bulk are the standard.