Onam festivities begin in Coimbatore

Onam is just around the corner and it looks like the celebrations for the biggest festival of Kerala have already begun in Coimbatore. With colleges hosting special Onam programmes and restaurants gearing up with special Onam sadyas for the occasion, Malayalis in the city are making the most of the occasion.
Erine Louis, general manager of star hotel in the city, will be skipping his routine of heading home to his hometown Kochi this year.“It’s been five years I moved to Coimbatore. Every year, I head to Kerala to celebrate Onam and spend time with my parents. But this around, I have decided to stay back in Coimbatore and call my parents here. I am hosting a special Aranmula Valla Sadya on the D-day at the hotel. A sadya usually comprises 21 dishes, but an Aranmula Valla sadya has at least 41 or 63 dishes. It’s quite an elaborate fare. The idea is to introduce this sadya to the multi-linguistic population of Coimbatore.”
On the other hand, K Rajagopalan, president of the Coimbatore Malayali Samajam says that preparations for the festival are on in full swing at the Samajam. “Onam falls in the Malayali month of Chingam and marks the homecoming of the legendary king Mahabali. The festival lasts for ten days and the revelries culminate on the day of Thiruonam. At the Samajam, we ensure that Onam is celebrated on Thiruvonam day (September 14). We have been conducting pookalam and dance competitions in schools and colleges and we have organized special celebrations with the big names of the city on Thiruvonam. There will be a special orchestra by playback singer Sayanora, which will be followed by dance performances. Women of the Samajam will adorn the venue with colourful pookalams. We want to recreate the festive atmosphere of Kerala right here in Coimbatore,” says Rajagopalan, who has made Coimbatore home for the last 46 years.
At dentist Vandana Narayan’s house, the festivities are on for all ten days. “We make colourful pookalams using flowers before heading to work. On Thiruvonam day, we make the sadya and catch up on the latest Malayalam releases.” Businessman Vijay Krishnan adds, “Back home in Kerala, we used to celebrate the festival for ten days. But now, we stick to the Thiruvonam day. We wake up early in the morning and begin making sadya from the scratch. Though there are plenty of caterers serving onasadya in the city, we stick to home-made food. I am also planning to dress up my son as King Mahabali.”
For former RJ Krishna, Onam is a festival of togetherness. “Onam is special for a Malayali as it brings together family and friends. After all, one cannot enjoy the sadya, chenda melam and thiruvathirakali (dance performed by women) alone.” Seconding him is Erine Louis, “To me Onam marks the coming together of family. I spend time with my cousins with whom I grew up. As we grow older, life takes us on different paths and some of us tend to become more successful than the others. But Onam is about forgetting all those differences and reliving once childhood memories together.”