An Original Onam.

This time, it was not just Onam, that was calling me back home. There was a new member in our family; ‘Shawn’- my brother’s kid. When job and geography keep us apart, times like these become the most precious moments of our lives.

Well, as you might already know, Onam is the most important festival of Kerala. It’s hard to believe, but we celebrate Onam, breaking boundaries of cast, religion or geography. It’s everyone’s festival. And it’s all about happiness.. with family, food, flowers and the age old rituals associated with this. I’m going to write about those great times I had with my family. But if you want to know more about Onam as a festival, check it out here.

PookkaLam -The floral Carpet (more info here)

May be this is the most famous part of Onam. Everyone knows about this ritual of arranging flowers in the front yard. Remembering our childhoods when we used to walk around the neighborhood searching for flowers with our baskets, me and my brother decided to re-live the old times. Collecting flowers and leaves just the way we used to do.

Sadya –The wholesome mallu food. (more info here)

Food, as rich as it could ever be, the mallu “Sadya” is one of the tastiest and the most filling food ever (you know it!) But what’s more delightful than this ‘food’ is the feeling that we get when we have it together with all the members of the family.

Family

Of course, dressed in typical mallu-uncle outfit, Shawn was the focus of this year’s Onam. Some more great time with our grandparents, Uncles and cousins.

PulikkaLi – The cultural tiger-dance of thrissur. (more info here)

It was the next day when the tigers came to our home. Apparently, it was fun to meet many of my childhood friends as the tigers, ‘chenda’ players, and the organizers of this cultural ritual.

The guy inside this tiger-suit is my childhood friend and neighbor –“Chudu”.

With a heart full of flowers, food, family and cultural-rituals… one more Onam.

I hope now you’ve got some idea why I’m so suffocated in Mumbai :)