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Hues of Onam

Reflecting on Onams past and present evokes many images

ONAM COLOURS floral carpets for Mahabali PHOTO: S. MAHNSHA

It is that time of the year when most people become nostalgic and Onams, past and present, become a kaleidoscope of images, flavours and fragrances.

While many senior citizens go back to the Onams of their childhood, for harried homemakers it is the time for shopping sprees, family get-togethers and marathon cooking sessions. Students welcome Onam for the 10-day break and many of them see it as a short vacation.

Metro Plus spoke to a few people to share their memories of Onam.

For Mariamma Oommen Chandy, Officer in charge of Centre for Entrepreneurship Development for Women, Canara Bank, Onam takes her to her childhood in Haripad. "It was a golden period of plenty. The Payipad boat race was an event to look forward to. My father used to put up a swing for me and my siblings used to come home for the vacations.

"The Onam then did not have the glitz of the city. There were no staged functions. Kaduvakalli, Thumbi Thulall and the boat races were the major events during Onam."

However, she regrets that Onam is now buried in the rush of day-to-day living. "Kunju (Oommen Chandy) is very busy and he finds it difficult to attend such domestic functions."

Hectic celebrations

Another person who goes into flashback mode is writer Chandramati.

At the heart of writer Chandramati's memories of Onam lies her ancestral home in Vellayani. Located on the shores of the Vellayani Lake, Onam there meant swings, pookkalams and hectic celebrations. "Celebrating Onam brings to mind aromas from the kitchen, of plantains being fried, ada pradhaman being made. Thus, Onam for me was always been sensual for me."

However, the one Onam that stands out starkly in her memories was the one Onam when there were no celebrations, no swings, and no sadya. Chandramati's young uncle had passed away because of which there were no celebrations that year. "An Onam bereft of all activities that I had come to associate with it was something that I as a child could not connect with.

"I was too young to understand the seriousness of death. In retrospect I understand why there were no celebrations. But at the time it made no sense," says the writer. As a result of that experience, she believes that the joy of celebrating Onam should not be denied to children.

For film actor Navya Nair, Onam kindles memories of holidays that she used to enjoy as a student. "Then, it was Athapoo, swings, Onakodi... Now, I would consider myself lucky if I can be home for Thiruvonam," says Navya who is in the midst of shooting for a Tamil film in Karaikudi. Like most Malayalis, she also talks of Onasadya, upperi and payasam.

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