Onam, the traditional festival of Kerala, was celebrated with great enthusiasm in Oman on Sunday. The day is marked with people dressed in traditional attire paying floral tributes and having Sadya meals. The event is an agricultural festival that celebrates the rich harvest of the land, symbolizing joy and prosperity. It was celebrated with colorful ‘pookkalam’ made of different types of flowers welcoming friends and relatives in their traditional Kerala attire and wishing everyone a happy Onam. Onam is celebrated in the Chingam month, which marks the beginning of the Malayalam calendar. It is celebrated to mark the homecoming of King Mahabali, during whose reign the state was said to have witnessed a golden era.
Madhu B Nambiar, a long-time resident of Oman, mentioned, “This time we were lucky to get a public holiday on Sunday (Thiruonam) as a result of three-day weekend holidays many of my friends were able to celebrate this joyous festival by going to Kerala and celebrate with family, close relatives and friends.” “Because of the three-day holidays in Oman, the shopping malls were all crowded as people got sufficient time to make Onam shopping and thronging the hypermarkets,” Janardhan, another expat from Kannur, working for the last 10 years in Muscat said. “During the Onam festival, people usually wear traditional kasavu sarees and mundu (dhoti). It is a time when family members and friends gather and exchange gifts like new dresses.”
The Onam festival holds a special place in the hearts of those from Kerala, bringing back memories from childhood and simpler times. People flooded stores in Oman to make last-minute purchases for the festival, celebrated by all members of the community regardless of their religion. From supermarkets to shopping centers, restaurants, and jewelry shops, commercial outlets catering to the Indian community came up with various Onam offers and plans.
The 10-day Onam celebrations in Kerala began with the Atham celebrations on August 20. It is a festival honoring King Mahabali and Vamana, with people welcoming the king symbolically by arranging flower carpets, traditional dances, and games. Floral carpets are made by women dressed in traditional saris, singing a well-known song in honour of the occasion. The highlight of Onam celebrations is the Onasadya, a special vegetarian feast. The feast is considered essential, with an old adage stating that one should sell all assets to have it. The quality of Onam celebrations is often measured by the type of Sadya one has, with various dishes making up the feast, including parippu, poppadom, ghee, sambar, kaalan, rasam, moru, aviyal, thoran, erissery, olan, kichadi, pachadi, kootu curry, and pickles of ginger, lime, and mango, among others. Payasams of ada, lentils, vermicelli, and rice in milk are also served, with the number of payasams varying from one to multiple.
In conclusion, Onam is a time of celebration and joy, bringing people together to commemorate the rich harvest and prosperity. The festival is celebrated with traditional attire, floral decorations, and special feasts, marking the homecoming of King Mahabali. Nostalgic memories of childhood and simpler times are evoked during Onam, with people in Oman joining in the festivities with enthusiasm. The Onam celebrations in Kerala are a grand affair, with 10 days of festivities that honor the tradition and myth of Mahabali and Vamana. The Onasadya feast is the highlight of the celebrations, with various traditional dishes served to mark the significance of the festival. Overall, Onam is a time for family, friends, and community to come together, celebrate, and exchange gifts, bringing joy and happiness to all.
