Onam Wishes to All...

Today is Onam, the biggest festival in the coastal state of Kerala. Onam Festival marks the homecoming of legendary King Mahabali. Onam is essentially a harvest festival among Keralites, although this festival has its origin in Hindu mythology, people of all class and creed celebrate it. The secular character of Onam is peculiar and a striking feature and this has always coexisted during festivals, when people come together to celebrate life's unlimited joys: feasting, boat races, song, dance and merriment.



That's the true spirit of this fest but crass commercialization has vulgarized Kerala's once-egalitarian and pure festival. A master piece here by fellow Desicritic'ian, Rajen Nair and in this piece he draws vignettes from his childhood memory mines.

The celebrations commence within a fortnight of the Malayalee New Year and this fervidness lasts for ten days. The last day called the Thiruvonam is the most important. Onam also means new clothes for the whole family, men dressed in spotless white mundu (cloth wrapped around the waist and it falls till the feet) and jubba on top (neck less shirt). The women are dressed up in butter-colored saris with golden border and that looks neat and fresh. Their hair is decked with jasmine flowers, and this perfect frosting is like the hallmark signature an author scribbles on his/her just completed book. Also dollops of sumptuous home-cooked delicacies served on plantain leaf and the lingering aroma of the sweet Payasam arouse all the gastronomical senses.

Wish you all a Happy Onam.

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(Note: Both the pics have been taken from internet, but I added my bit of give it the bucolic look and the curls that you see along the edges.)