An Onam to remember

Being away from home didn’t deter Malayalis in the city from celebrating the ten-day festival of Onam. They evoked childhood memories while observing the festival with a lot of enthusiasm.

Nitya Naresh, Tollywood actress, says, “This year it was a working Onam for me. My father accompanied me to the shoot just to give me company and my mother was at home with my sister so that neither of us felt left out,” adding, “Being away is not new for me. My father used to work in the Navy, so we didn’t get enough opportunity to revel in the festivities. We would cook a great spread and invite friends and family over for a get-together.”

Libby Benjamin, president, Confederation of Telugu Region Malayalee Associations, says, “We have taken it up as our responsibility to bring the Malayali community together to celebrate Onam. This year, we had long celebrations starting from August 25 at Ravindra Bharati. Ministers from Telangana and Kerala were there to commemorate the occasion with great fervour.” 

Elaborating about the traditional pookalam competition, Lakshmi Nambiar, founder of Shrishti Art Gallery, says, “During Onam, two things we focus on are pookalams and Sadya. We make innovative flower decoration in front of our houses and for lunch we serve Sadya, which is a vegetarian meal that features over 24 dishes on a banana leaf. Sadly, we did not have grand celebrations this year. But next year, we will make it a point to celebrate it the traditional way.”