It feels weird writing this post.
Even though last week was the week of Onam, I decided to put my customary/obligatory post on "Onam" this week. And it was of the same reason. It feels weird writing about "Onam".
Don't get me wrong. It's not the festival that I've a problem with. My problem is with regards to you.
According to my statistics, moving aside my only consistent reader (Hi Dad!!), 9 out of every 10 hits here will be by a Malayali. And to entice a Malayali by claiming to show them five new things out Onam is like having to ask Einstein, to come to your lecture on "Relativity".
Us, Malayalis are brought on the spirit of Onam. I won't claim that everyone of us knows everything about "Onam", but I'm damn sure that we are too proud to concede that we don't know something about it. That's one thing you get the second you are born as a Malayali - Being Proud.
So, you can see the dilemma I'm facing. I've always tried to bring something new to the table with this series, and today, I have to accept that I can't do that. And I believe, this will be the first of many.
Talking about first's, this was my first Onam away from home - after I started living away from home. I inserted that clause at the end, cos most of the onam's in my first two decades here were spent on journeys. "Where?" and "Why?" questions for those journeys will be answered some other time.
As for now, I celebrated my Onam, with my circle of friends here in Gurgaon. To make it special, we visited the Ayypan Temple at R K Puram, New Delhi, early on Saturday morning, and witnessed the deeparadhana (morning puja).
This was followed by the acquisition of various vegetables and other items for preparing the "onasadhya", a mandatory sumptuous feast for Onam. And by Sunday afternoon, we had prepared our "onasadhya", comprising rice and 15 other dishes, including one payasam. I told you it had to be sumptuous.
And with that photo, we'll move on to the "5 things" for this week. These are the five essential things required for a complete Onam celebration. So, shall we begin??
Did you know that one of the five things you need to have a complete Onam celebration is...
1. ...pookalam?
Have you seen any one of these??
.jpg)
If you haven't, try and visit any school/college/institution/colony/any place in Kerala during Onam time. Being the harvest festival it is, Onam requires you to have a vibrant, complex, beautiful design, made entirely out of flowers to welcome the guests at your place.
2. ...Mahabali?
So, who is the guest? Well, the main guest is the Spirit of Mahabali, who is visiting to enquire about the well being of his beloved subjects. And like they would do in the past whenever the King visits your village, his subjects in Kerala welcome him with an unrivaled spirit.
So, if on your visit to Kerala to see the pookallam, you happen to see many pot bellied men, in just a dhothar and with a olakuda, please don't be alarmed. These are only the multitude of men hired by various organizations to portray the role of Mahabali.
3. ...onasadhya?
It is a common courtesy in India to appease the guest. "Athithi devo bhava". Ergo you won't be surprised at the feast we prepare for our King. Onasadhya can be loosely translated as "Banquet for Onam", but I feel the english translation takes away the charm and astronomical magnitude of the feast. Let me show you a few pictures of what all you can expect for the same.
If you are not a Malayali, I can understand if this doesn't get you excited. But I will challenge you to show me one Malayali, who doesn't get a bad case of anticipatory salivary flow on seeing the above pictures.
4. ...onakodi?
Onakodi is the new dress that you wear on Onam. This is also a part of welcoming the king. Here are a few pictures of how Malayalis look in their traditional onakodi.
For a more realistic picture, here is a group photo from my batch's only onam celebration during our four years together.
5. ...to celebrate it with everyone around you?
Onam is the state festival of Kerala, and is the proud symbol of being a Keralite for any Malayali. It is celebrated by every Malayali, irrespective of religion, caste, position and location. That is to say, last weekend, you had a very high chance of seeing in the city of Gurgaon, a Manjeri native joining hands with a practicing Muslim to prepare a sumptuous onasadhya, ably assisted by a devout Hindu, a Roman Catholic, an atheist and a slacker.
Kerala is called God's own country, not only because of the vast array of temples, churches and mosques you would find in that small space of land, but because like the Gods they worship, we've found a way to live peacefully with each other. That is not to say that there aren't the occasional sparks and fights, but we always find a way to move past it. One unifying factor for us all is Onam. No matter who you are, where you are and what your current state is, if you are a true Malayali, you'll find a way to celebrate Onam.
***
With that recap of Onam, we'll end it for today.
See you all next week.
Have a great weekend!!!
Even though last week was the week of Onam, I decided to put my customary/obligatory post on "Onam" this week. And it was of the same reason. It feels weird writing about "Onam".
Don't get me wrong. It's not the festival that I've a problem with. My problem is with regards to you.
According to my statistics, moving aside my only consistent reader (Hi Dad!!), 9 out of every 10 hits here will be by a Malayali. And to entice a Malayali by claiming to show them five new things out Onam is like having to ask Einstein, to come to your lecture on "Relativity".
Us, Malayalis are brought on the spirit of Onam. I won't claim that everyone of us knows everything about "Onam", but I'm damn sure that we are too proud to concede that we don't know something about it. That's one thing you get the second you are born as a Malayali - Being Proud.
So, you can see the dilemma I'm facing. I've always tried to bring something new to the table with this series, and today, I have to accept that I can't do that. And I believe, this will be the first of many.
Talking about first's, this was my first Onam away from home - after I started living away from home. I inserted that clause at the end, cos most of the onam's in my first two decades here were spent on journeys. "Where?" and "Why?" questions for those journeys will be answered some other time.
As for now, I celebrated my Onam, with my circle of friends here in Gurgaon. To make it special, we visited the Ayypan Temple at R K Puram, New Delhi, early on Saturday morning, and witnessed the deeparadhana (morning puja).
This was followed by the acquisition of various vegetables and other items for preparing the "onasadhya", a mandatory sumptuous feast for Onam. And by Sunday afternoon, we had prepared our "onasadhya", comprising rice and 15 other dishes, including one payasam. I told you it had to be sumptuous.
our very own onasadhya
And with that photo, we'll move on to the "5 things" for this week. These are the five essential things required for a complete Onam celebration. So, shall we begin??
Did you know that one of the five things you need to have a complete Onam celebration is...
1. ...pookalam?
Have you seen any one of these??
.jpg)
If you haven't, try and visit any school/college/institution/colony/any place in Kerala during Onam time. Being the harvest festival it is, Onam requires you to have a vibrant, complex, beautiful design, made entirely out of flowers to welcome the guests at your place.
2. ...Mahabali?
So, who is the guest? Well, the main guest is the Spirit of Mahabali, who is visiting to enquire about the well being of his beloved subjects. And like they would do in the past whenever the King visits your village, his subjects in Kerala welcome him with an unrivaled spirit.
Nammudae swantham Maaveli (our very own Mahabali)
So, if on your visit to Kerala to see the pookallam, you happen to see many pot bellied men, in just a dhothar and with a olakuda, please don't be alarmed. These are only the multitude of men hired by various organizations to portray the role of Mahabali.
3. ...onasadhya?
It is a common courtesy in India to appease the guest. "Athithi devo bhava". Ergo you won't be surprised at the feast we prepare for our King. Onasadhya can be loosely translated as "Banquet for Onam", but I feel the english translation takes away the charm and astronomical magnitude of the feast. Let me show you a few pictures of what all you can expect for the same.
Onasadhya sample No.1
Onasadhya sample No.2
Onasadhya sample No.3
If you are not a Malayali, I can understand if this doesn't get you excited. But I will challenge you to show me one Malayali, who doesn't get a bad case of anticipatory salivary flow on seeing the above pictures.
4. ...onakodi?
Onakodi is the new dress that you wear on Onam. This is also a part of welcoming the king. Here are a few pictures of how Malayalis look in their traditional onakodi.
For a more realistic picture, here is a group photo from my batch's only onam celebration during our four years together.
5. ...to celebrate it with everyone around you?
Onam is the state festival of Kerala, and is the proud symbol of being a Keralite for any Malayali. It is celebrated by every Malayali, irrespective of religion, caste, position and location. That is to say, last weekend, you had a very high chance of seeing in the city of Gurgaon, a Manjeri native joining hands with a practicing Muslim to prepare a sumptuous onasadhya, ably assisted by a devout Hindu, a Roman Catholic, an atheist and a slacker.
Kerala is called God's own country, not only because of the vast array of temples, churches and mosques you would find in that small space of land, but because like the Gods they worship, we've found a way to live peacefully with each other. That is not to say that there aren't the occasional sparks and fights, but we always find a way to move past it. One unifying factor for us all is Onam. No matter who you are, where you are and what your current state is, if you are a true Malayali, you'll find a way to celebrate Onam.
***
With that recap of Onam, we'll end it for today.
See you all next week.
Have a great weekend!!!
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