3 September 2009
NEW DELHI: The Krishnans, who live in a modest two-room quarter in the Travancore House, meant for the staff of Kerala House, eagerly look forward to Onam every year. The malayalee family which has been living in Delhi for the past 30 years makes sure the festival is celebrated with a grand feast and prepares the traditional `pookalam' (flower rangoli) at the doorstep of their house.
Those who visit them for Onam greetings are offered a sumptuous vegetarian meal with a variety of dishes laid out on a plantain leaf. The traditional favourites are avial (semi-dry mixed vegetable), sambhar, rasam, kalaan (yam and plantains in a buttermilk preparation), olan (pumpkin in coconut milk), payasam (kheer), papad, inchi puli (tamarind pickle), inchi thair (ginger curd) and rice, without which a meal is incomplete.
On Wednesday, Raji Krishnan woke up at 5am to prepare around 10-12 exotic dishes. "One is actually supposed to make 32 varieties, but I didn't have help or the energy. We still try to stick to tradition as much as we can.''
Onam celebrates the arrival of demon king Mahabali. Legend has that when Mahabali, the Asura (demon) king, ruled the state of Kerala nobody was poor or rich. He was so fair and judicious that even the gods felt jealous and insecure of him. To teach him a lesson, he was pushed to pathala the nether world. But it's believed that once a year during Onam, Mahabali comes and meets his people. Families prepare traditional dishes and offer floral tributes in his welcome.
And while good food certainly makes Onam special, floral tributes are another significant aspect of the 10-day harvest festival. Raji's 20-year-old daughter Jiji, along with some neighbours, participated in a floral rangoli-making competition at Kerala House on Wednesday and won the second prize.
"Today is Thiruvonam, an extremely auspicious day. The family elders gift new dresses to the younger members. Women drape traditional sarees and kids wear a blouse and lehenga called `pattuvaada'. I have been taking part in the rangoli-making competition for the past 10 years and eagerly wait for Onam. We made a small rangoli outside the house and will change it every day for 10 days. Today is the last day for floral tributes,'' said Jiji.
M Krishnan, the head of the family who works in housekeeping in Kerala House, planted a banana tree right outside the house for Onam. "Banana is a key ingredient in all our preparations. This time when I visited Kerala I got the Keral bananas specially for Onam. It's only during weddings and festivities that we eat on the banana leaf,'' he said.
He added that every malayalee strongly believes in the famous saying "kaanam vittum Onam unaam'' (I will devour even if I have to sell off all my property). "No matter whether you are rich or poor, Onam is celebrated by all with equal pomp and show,'' he said.
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