Thiruvananthapuram: The ten-day Onam festivities began in Kerala with the colorful Athachamayam procession in Thripunithura, Ernakulam district, on Friday. The celebrations will proceed until September 17, with the pinnacle event, "Thiruvonam," occurring on September 15.
Traditional art forms, vivid umbrellas, pulikali, kavadiyattam, and karakattam all added to the festive procession. Caparisoned elephants, elaborate floats, and folk dance performances were the highlights of the celebrations.
Thousands gathered in Thripunithura to witness the Athachamayam procession. Following the Wayanad tragedy, certain Athachamayam events were reduced in scale. Nonetheless, the traditional rituals, including the processions, took place as usual.
The Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, A N Shamseer, inaugurated the event by lighting a lamp and hoisting the flag at Atham Nagar. In his opening address, Shamseer emphasized the importance of moving forward together with love and respect for one another.
Referring to the recent Wayanad disaster, he stated that a single rainfall was enough to devastate everything. "We need to realize that everything can be lost in one moment. In Wayanad, within the span of a night, two villages were completely wiped out, causing massive devastation," he said.
The Speaker expressed concern that deceit and betrayal were becoming more prevalent in the state, with people going to bed at night contemplating who they should cheat the next day.
He mentioned that, unlike other states, Kerala still maintains communal harmony, love, and unity among its people.
Onam gift
The Kerala government announced an Onam Gift for social security and welfare fund pension beneficiaries. The state has earmarked Rs 1,700 crore to disburse a pension of Rs 3,200 to around 62 lakh recipients. In addition to the pension installment that is presently being disbursed, two more installments have been sanctioned.
