Remembering Onam in Kerala when the festival was a symphony between Man and Nature
Flowers, colours and fairs, through media blitz and business campaigns tell us Onam is fast approaching. True, the glitz and glamour of celebrations entertain us. Be it the sumptuous sadya spread out by restaurants or the non-Kerala flowers adorning our ‘pookalams’, you can buy them all, without having to sweat, to create the ambience of a grand Onam and celebrate from any part of the globe.
But who ushered in Onam of yore when time emerged from positions of our shadow? In Chingam, on the hill slopes would bloom bunches of floral splendour, with yellow, white and violet mix, known as ‘Kannanthali poovu’, which has the fragrance of ‘punnellu’ – fresh rice.
When these petite beauties open their eyes every year, our ancestors would know that the time had come to celebrate Onam. Yes! Nature would herself inform us, showing the perfect harmony between Man and Nature, in perfect symphony.
These days every nook and corner of Kerala is sprayed mainly with orange and yellow hues, by the glamorous, marigold – ‘chendumallis’- and smart chrysanthemum coming from neighbouring states. They are here to give exquisite designs to our ‘Pookalams’. But, there was a time when Kerala was blessed with a fantastic variety of floral wealth.
When Sun has extra lustre
During ‘Chingam’, when the sun’s rays had an extra lustre, dainty flowers bloomed everywhere, in the courtyard, by the side of paddyfields, among wild bushes and by valleys. And only these native flowers had the privilege to enter ‘pookalams’.
As some of them had excellent medicinal properties also, they had a place of importance in every household. Fondly and jointly called as ‘Onappookkal’, traditional names of some of them are, Thumbapoovu or thumbakudam, kaakkapoovu, mukkutti, chembarathi, thechipoovu, kannanthali, thiruthaali, karuka, poovankurunnila, aripoo, uzhinja, nilappana, odinjukuthi and many others.
Among these, the delicate, white thumbapoo, had a special significance, as, she had to be present in the first pookalam on Atham without fail. Though flowers were put in simple, circular shapes, with the circles increasing with every day, all family members would be seen happily participating in it, with the elders directing them. It was also the time of togetherness and bonding.
But the real fun was, when children and village belles, rushed in batches, with their ‘pookoodas’ (flower basket) to collect flowers. This would be either in the evening or early morning. Remember those little, chirpy girls in short skirts and blouses or frocks; and giggling teens in colourful, long skirts and blouses or half-sarees, hurrying to gather the maximum bunches from the hillside and valleys.
At times the smart kids used to poach from courtyards, with blossoms aplenty. When a batch reaches a particular place, they would alert the other batch, with some particular call sign lest others should enter their territory to pluck the dainties. Children learnt the three Rs of socialization at such soirees.
Readymade, angst-ridden
Today, we opt for everything instant or readymade. Those days, it was the elaborate ‘Uthradapachil’ preparation, on the eve of Thiruvonam. The kitchen would bustle with activities; ladies chopping fresh red tomatoes or tall sleek, drumsticks or peeling the ginger and the grinding stone on fulltime work, payasam and rice boiling on traditional stoves, the men running around to organise everything and the army of children on duty, to collect banana leaves and fresh vegetables.
Grandparents were also busy, sitting and chatting about their younger days! With so much hard work and sweat, everybody, specially the ladies kept on working, with a pleasant and happy face.
On Thiruvonam, when paripu, sambar, kalan, pulinchi, kootukari, achar, pazham, pappadam and payasam occupy their assigned territories on the plantain leaf and assail our taste buds, we realise the affection of our mothers and wives, who had put in their best, year after year.
Maybe, this is why memories of Onam of yesteryears, still carry a fresh, ‘punnellu’ – puthari flavour. Then the festival celebration was also an opportunity to reinforce the family bonding, social togetherness and emotional security, which made individuals responsible, stable and secure.
Today’s celebrations have a huge fanfare, with the accompaniment of modern accoutrements and comfortable living; but the happiness, isn’t it ephemeral? Does it strive to reduce modern man’s angst of his tomorrow? The rejoicing, if it gives us stability and security like yesteryears, then it would have more meaning and depth!
(Author loves to write books of tales for children)
