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Kerala
prepares for Onam
Cochin:
Preparations are on in full swing for the ten-day
long annual harvest festival "Onam" in Kerala. Onam
is eagerly awaited by all even as people redecorate
their homes, buy new clothes for the ritual to pray
for the prosperity of their relatives and friends.
The festival falls in August-September when the harvest
has been reaped and granaries are full. Houses are
freshly painted and everyone wears new clothes. "Pookkalam",
or floral arrangements, is another important part
of celebrations and women decorate floors and courtyards
of their houses with fresh multi-coloured flower petals
all month long to welcome the deities. In recent years
technology has caught up with the festivities and
SMS and e-cards are amongst the most popular forms
of greetings. Fast, cheap and with a wide variety,
it has been an instant hit especially with the youth.
"My friends are out of Kerala. So, we will send SMS
and greetings to our friends and relatives, wishing
through cell phones," U. Gopinath, an office executive,
said. The celebrations for the festival begin with
traditional prayers in preparation for welcoming the
mythical King Mahabali. The head of the family presents
new clothes to the members, and the ritual is followed
by a lavish feast. In olden days the festival used
to be celebrated for 28 days but now the festivities
last between three to ten days. The older generation
is disappointed over the commercialisation of the
event meant to promote family ties and good moral
values. Few young people these days attend the rituals
and other ceremonies, using the holiday as a chance
to party or go to movies. "The present generation
is losing the concept of this festival. They are least
bothered and not ready to accept the traditional values
of it and treat it like just some activity or celebration,
that's it. In earlier times, during the king's reign
every one was equal, the king and his people. This
concept of equality is no more now, they come to know
through books about Onam. They are lacking the tradition
in this Onam festival," KK Warrier, a murial artist,
lamented.
Onam recalls the story of the demon king Mahabali
who created a kingdom in what is now Kerala. Legend
has it that the jealous gods sent God Vishnu to crush
Mahabali. Vishnu disguised himself as Vamana, a small
Brahmin boy, and came to Mahabali's court. He asked
for as much land as he could cover in three steps.
With the first stride, Vamana covered heaven, with
the second, he covered earth. For the third step,
he put his foot on Mahabali's head and pushed him
down to the nether world. Mahabali then asked that
he be allowed to visit his kingdom once a year. The
Onam festivities are held to greet the king. The festive
period leads up to Thiruvonam, the day of the visit.
-Aug 26, 2004
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