Happy Onam!

Hi ILites,
Wish You All a Very Happy Onam!

dear friends,
A VERY HAPPY ONAM TO ALL. It is a very happy time in Kerala , without any religious or caste difference. This is a national festival for us. I would like to think loudly about the Onam during my childhood and take you all to that time.
Keralites welcome the demon King Mahabali from his exile. They want him to think that they are all living happily and the country is properous. So they celebrate Onam in a very elaborate manner.
Aththappoo or pookkalam is drawn on th front of the house. Mostly that used to be circular, with tiers going up. Then, cow dung is mixed in water and that is used to spread on this to make it clean. Then, all the tiers are decorated with different kinds of flowers.
Nowadays, pookalams are drawn as kolams, designs or themes are used, on the plain ground. A lighted kuthuvilakku is kept in the center.
The most important aspect of Onam is having a swing in the garden. Mostly a huge log is used as the seat and the swing is tied to trees. One could swing to great heights and it used to scarry sometimes.
Lots of goodies would be prepared everyday and payasams of different varieties made. The Thiruvonam sadhya will the best. All the traditioal dishes are prepared that day. We also make sweet chips from the nendran banana other than the salt chips.
New dresses are bought, not one but many.
When we moved to the Vinayak Nagar from an agraharam, we just enjoyed Onam. In VN, there used to be open land and one the oldest resident used to build a large swing for all the colony children to play. The male servants used to help us swing to great heights. Oh, those were the days.
But now the scene had changed. People buy Ona sadhya from the caterers. Pookkalam is ordered from the florist. And like every other place, Onam celebration has come down to watching programmes on tv. How sad!
In Trivandrum, my birthplace, we visit the Sree Padmanabha Temple to have a darshan of the Lord and Ruler of our land. He will be adorned with diamond naamam and beautifully strung jasmine garlands. The king will submit the Ona villu (Onam bow) as a mark of respect to the Lord. The dasavatharam or Krishna leela or Ramayana picture will adorn the villu. The back grod will be brick red and natural colours are used. The family which makes the villu, will bring it to the temple in a procession and they will be received with much respect by the authorites. Then, the king will offer the villu to the Lord. The same will be displayed at the sanctum sanctorum for many days for the devotees to have a look.
I heard that the Ona villu is available for anyone to offer to the Lord then get back as prasadam and keep in the homes.
I hope all those connected with Kerala, would have had a nice trip down the memory lane.
Once again wishing you all a Happy Onam.
With warm wishes,

dear Varloo,
Thank you very much for the wishes.like you I also want to wish all our malayali friendsall over the world a very happy and properous onam. After many years last year I spent onam in Trivandrum. I was astounded to see the transformation in the city. TVM was buzzing with activity with onam processions ,athappoo contests ,variety entertainment by children and lights, lights every where.It was indeed a visual treat to see it being celebrated by all communities. All temples have special alankarams and poojas and it was impossible to walk on the road without hitting someone.It brought out my childhood days, i enjoyed verymuch,met all myfriends.
Thank you for sparking the memories,You do write well
Regards,
Meenu

Dear Ladies,

Wishing you all a Happy Onam & Let's pray Onam brings with it a lot of Peace & happiness in all our lives.

Varloo, that was a nice write-up on Onam. Things have changed over a period of time but the joy of festivity remains the same.

Love & regards,

Dear friends,
Happy Onam to all of you and may it bring Peace and Good Luck to all.

Dear Varloo,
That was a lovely description of how you celebrated Onam. It is great to cherish such memories. I only know that Onam is celebrated by Malayalees and don't know much about it. It is difficult to imagine what the Villu looks like. I shall search the web to see if there are any pictures of it. There is so much to know and learn.

L, Kamla

A very happy onam to all of you.
Safa, welcome back, my dear friend, after the break.
Love & regards,
Chithra.

Wishing u all a very happy and prosperous onam.

Love
Priya

Wish you all a very Happy Onam.

love,
mohana.

Maveli naadu vaaneedum kaalam
Maanusharellarum onnu pole
Kallavumilla chathiyumilla
Ellolamilla polivachanam........

Dear Varalakshmi, your words reminded me of this beautiful onappattu. thank u for the lovely write up..I miss my home, if I was there I could attend for Onasadhya at my home....
Dear Chithra, I am very happy that I could talk to you, Varloo and Archana..was busy all days otherwise I would have met you all.
tomorrow I am planning to prepare an Onasadhya...

Safa has written a very old malayalam folk song. The song ways that when Mahabali was the King, all the human beings were equals. There was no treachery, lies, theft and any such bad things.
How we all wish that such times could return! That is why we Malayalis celebrate the visit of the Great Demon King, who compelled the God to take an avatar to finish him. Please do not think he is a bad one, Devendra was afraid that Mahabli would excel him and so he requested the Lord. Anyway, he was blessed by the touch of the feet of the God.