Onam Memories

Onam : Some memories I love the story of Mahabali. Mahabali was an Asura king who ruled Kerala in ancient times. However he was very righteous. During his rule life was perfect in Kerala. There was no injustice, tragedy, dishonesty or lies. Everything was holy and prosperous. The devas or God's became very jealous. They sent Vishnu to Mahabali. Vishnu appeared as a poor Brahmin in front of Mahabali. His name was Vamana. I think Vishnu had the incarnation of Vamana. He asked Mahabali for land as much as three of his footsteps would occupy. Mahabali agreed. Vamana took his first step. He suddenly transformed into a huge person and his first step covered the entire earth. Vamana took his next step and it covered the entire heaven. He had asked for three steps but there was no more place to keep the third step. Mahabali being righteous bowed before vamana and said place the third step on my head. Vamana placed the third step on Mahabali's head and he was pushed to the underworld. Known as patalam. But Mahabali asked Vamana if he could return to earth once a year to meet his subjects in his kingdom. The time that he revisits once a year is celebrated as onam by malayalis. Pookkalam is made in front of homes by the people of Kerala to welcome Mahabali. Flowers are gathered by children in the morning. They bring the flowers home and make a beautiful design with flowers in the front of their home. In my school there was pookkalam contest. Each child brings flowers from home. So each group has a ton of flowers. Then the flower carpet is made. It is very beautiful because it is made with lots of flowers. In churches also there is pookkalam contest. Onam is in the month of Chingam. Chingam comes after karkkidakam. Malayalam the language spoken in Kerala has its own calendar. Thiruvathira Kali is an integral part of Onam. Women wearing the traditional attire of malayali women--cream colored saree with no pattern on it with a border of narrow line in varying colors. It can be one saree or a two piece set. The two piece is more traditional. If your mundu has green line on the edge you can wear a green blouse. If it has a red line then you can wear red blouse. If it has black lines it can be worn with black blouse. If gold lines then gold blouse can be worn. The women stand in a circle and dance. In lions club my mother participated in Thiruvathira Kali once. My childhood friend Gayathrys mother when she dances this dance looks so gracious. Cochin shipyard where my father used to work officers wives and kids also organised one such dance. Since the city of kochi is near backwaters there would be vallomkali in the backwaters. It is very difficult to watch it due to huge crowds. I once watched it. Snake boat or chundan vallom is rowed by different teams. Puli Kali One day in front of our warriam road house there were people who had their whole body covered with yellow paste. And with black lines on it. They wore the head of a tiger. And they just danced. And I think my parents gave them money. My mother said this is Puli Kali. I have not seen Puli Kali after that. Last year I saw Puli Kali in my phone of this person dressed as Puli going through this entire village. There are ten days of onam. The first day is atham. The nearest town near my grandfather's village is Tripunithira. There if you go on Atham day they celebrate something called Athachamayam. For Athacayam you can buy furniture from there. The entire street has furniture on both sides. You get good quality teak furniture. My parents one time bought chest of drawers dressing table and other furniture from there. Sadya or onam feast is an integral part of onam. I always believed it was a hundred percent vegetarian feast. There can be up to 36 curries all made with vegetables. It is eaten from a banana leaf. The feast culminates with Payasam. Payasam can be had with bananas pappadam or boli. Last year or so I realized there are regions in Kerala where non veg food is served for onam. I was truly surprised. I have lots of memories of onam feast. Lions club had onam feast. On onam day sometimes my father buys all the onam feast curries from a restaurant called Dwarka in Ernakulam. Once I remember going to Bharath Tourist Home on onam day and there everyone dressed in beautiful mundu and neryathum and all dressed up with jewelry and flowers and we had onam. There are onam songs from movies and just regular songs which are very popular. In stores there is discount. If you have servants we have to give them clothing gifts and money gifts for onam. Everyone wears new clothes for onam. I remember the entire TDM hall road there are stores that sell kaithari clothes. Kaithari means handwoven. That is the traditional mundu and neryathum. Gayathrys mother was raised in Trivandrum. She talked to my mother about a store called kasavukada where you only get mundum neryathum. Gold and different colors. Now Kerala saree comes with pattern of kathakali, lotus etc.