Ooty: The historical Sri Nagesh Barracks at Wellington, near here, came alive with traditional colours and flavours as Onam celebrations took centre stage at the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) at Wellington. A beautiful display of pookkalam, the traditional floral decoration, added grandeur to the imposing barrack square. Dressed in the traditional attire of Kerala, Brig S. Suresh Kumar, the commandant of MRC, and other officers and women of MRC presented a unique example of harmony of diverse cultures. A number of serving and retired officers and soldiers from the station joined the MRC staff and soldiers in celebrating Onam with their families.
The soldiers and families from Kerala presented an entertainment programme with performances of Thiruvathira Kali, Kol Kali, Puli Kali and depiction of the world famous Vallam Kali. Ms Renu Suresh gave away gifts to the participants. The GRG memorial tribal higher seondary school at Vazhaithottam, bordering the Mudumalai tiger reserve, celebrated Onam with a traditional touch. The students and teachers dressed up in Malayali attire for the occasion and laid a pookkalam to celebrate the event.
“Onam is the festival of colours, tradition and culture. It teaches us the importance of nature conservation as flowers and vegetables play a big role in Onam celebrations. Celebrating Onam was to strengthen the bonds of friendship and communal harmony to ensure that festivals pave the way for nurturing goodwill and nation building,” students of the school opined.
