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Onam - A Secular Celebration -by RM Nair THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Onam is a ten-day national festival of Kerala celebrated by all people irrespective caste, creed, class or religion. The main festival day called Thiruvonam fell on Wednesday, August 21. The rich and poor alike invariably buy new clothes and lay 'onasadya' (feasts) on banana leaves. There is smell of banana chips and 'payasam' (puddings) all over. The domestic environment is charged with a spirit of celebration.
Special flower decorations called 'pookhalam' ('poov' means flower; kalam is colour sketches on the ground) like the Japanese ikebana are made in the courtyard in every home, especially wherever there is a little girl. Girls in a neighbourhood join together and 'poovideel' (flower offerings) is performed at the 'pookhalam' in accompaniment of songs sung by women every day early in the morning before sun-rise all the ten days in their homes by turn. The 'poovideel' of the final day draws small boys in a competition of who seizes more of the special rice sweets steamed in folded and tied up banana leaves called 'poovada' hidden by the girls amidst the decks of flowers the moment the performance is whistled to an exciting end., and that is when it is still dark and the day is yet to break. There is a swing tied from a tree in every home on which children in twos and threes go high up in the sky all these days they are away from the school.. The little ones have their special Onam gifts: bamboo baskets in which they carry around an abundance of a variety of chips Every one wears new clothes and take special meals on 'Thiruvonam' . Boat races and various cultural functions during the festival are new attractions. To sum up, it boils down to a show of prosperity, for, it is believed the benevolent mythological king Maveli comes on his annual visit to ensure that his subjects still lived a prosperous life. The legend has it that Lord Vishnu came disguised as Vamana, a Brahmin boy, to Maveli asking for alms, but he was granted any wish he had! Vamana seeks just three steps of space. He covers the earth and the heaven in two steps and asks the king where to place his foot for the third. The king bows his head and is pushed down to the netherworld. Maveli had, in turn, a wish of his own: he be allowed to visit his subjects once in a year to ensure they are leading a happy and prosperous life. August 21, 2002 |
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