In home away from home, Onam festivities come alive

BHUBANESWAR: It was a memorable Sunday for hundreds of Malayalee families staying in the city as they participated in the Onam celebrations organized by Kerala Kala Samiti.
Miles away from Kerala, they did their best to observe the festival with as much pomp and gaiety as they do back home. The 10th day of the festivities that culminated on Sunday marked the zenith of all activities with 'Onasadhya'- the grand Onam feast.
"Onam is the most important festival for people of Kerala. Those who live outside Kerala try to visit their homes during Onam, but those who cannot, like us, come together and celebrate the festival here. Of course, there is a feeling of nostalgia as we miss our village but here we try to make it a grand occasion," said president of Kerala Kala Samiti Benjamin Simon.
During the Onam celebrations, the venue was bedecked with a huge 'Pookalan' (flower rangoli) at its entrance. Malayalee women were wearing traditional Kasavu sarees (white sarees with golden zari) and men in the mundu (dhoti).
Participating in the festivities, culture minister Ashok Panda said, "Such celebrations will encourage cultural exchange and harmony among Odia and Malayalee communities staying here."
Kavita Menon, a homemaker, said, "Partaking of the traditional meal at noon is a very important aspect of Onam. The meal consists of 23 essential dishes to be consumed in one sitting. It has different varieties of curries, upperies or items fried in oil, uppilittathu or pickles, chammanthi or chutneys, payasam, rice, curd, fruits and digestives. The food has to be served on banana leaves." On this occasion, a colourful cultural programme was also presented.