Onam for the non Malayalis

Onam, the mother of all festivals in Kerala, goes way beyond caste, community and religion. For it is celebrated with equal gusto and fervour by the non Malayalis in Kerala as well

Kerala is home to numerous communities such as Gujaratis, Sikhs, Tamil Brahmins, Kutch Muslims, Kannadigas and Marwaris, who have migrated to God’s own country decades ago for trading and other businesses. Over the years, they have embraced Kerala and its customs, practices and festivals as their own.

Until a few years back, Onam was just another festive season for the non Malayalis living in the state. Not anymore. The most remarkable facet of Onam is its secular nature. All the communities living here actively participate in the Onam festivities and celebrated it in a grand manner.

For the Gujarati community living in Kerala for generations, Onam holds a very special place in their hearts. The Onam celebrations are held every year at their 97 year old Gujarati school in Mattanchery. “Just like any other Kerala school, we have a variety of cultural programmes and competitions organised for Onam, such as a skit on the legendary King Mahabali, vadamvali and pookkalam competition for students.  We also make payasam and have a grand Onasadhya. The ladies in our community are very enthusiastic about the celebrations and keen on wearing the traditional Kerala sari. It has been a tradition we have never let gone till date,” says Chetan Shah, secretary, Kochi Gujarati Mahajan.

Essa Gaffar’s fondest memories of Onam takes him right back to his school days, starting from Onam exam, the long holidays, pookkalam and ends with the grand onasadya. “There is immense excitement in air, high-spirited celebrations and lots of happiness all around.  With no mobile phones and internet, life was simpler then and more importantly, people had a lot of time for each other,” recollects Gaffar, a Kutch Muslim, based in Fort Kochi.

While there are generations of migrated non Malayali communities who have made Kerala their home, there are others who have settled here for good. A Konkani by birth, businessman Umesh Kamath’s family migrated from Goa years back, and he was brought up in Kochi. “Onam celebration in our homes is just like that of the Malayalis. We visit the temple in the morning, make pookkalam and place onathappan in front of our house. Every year, we make it a point to invite our family friends over to our house for Onasadhya,” says Kamath.

Onam is very special for Delhi based Punjabi, Anupam Luthra, who married a Malayali and settled in Kerala. “Apart from the pookkalam and thiruvathira competitions in office, adorning the traditional Kerala sari with jasmine flowers is something I look forward to. This year, I would like to experiment with a set mundu for Onam. I have always been intrigued by the number of dishes prepared for Onasadhya, each having a distinct taste and flavour, especially the payasams. I still remember my first Onam in 2012, which I celebrated with my in-laws, I helped with the Onam dishes and there was so much of family bonding and re-union at home,” says Luthra.

The Marwari community from Rajasthan has been living in Kerala for more than three decades. Businessman Rajesh Kejeriwal, a Marwari, puts pookkalam at home on all the three days of Onam, makes Onasadhya and wears the traditional attire for Onam. “In the 1980’s, as a student, it was my pookkalam design which won the first prize in the school competition. My most memorable Onam was about 15 years ago, when as part of Onam celebrations in our locality, Mahabali visited every home including ours,” recollects Kejeriwal with a smile.

Iona Leekha, a pathologist in a reputed hospital in Kochi, initially found eating on a banana leaf weird, but got used to it in course of time. “Different departments in the hospital hold payasam fest, so I get to taste a variety of payasams during Onam. I enjoy dressing up my pre-schooler daughter Nia, for her Onam celebrations in school,” says Leekha.

While the Onam celebrations are on in full swing this year also, it is a known fact that Onam has transformed over the years. Kamath finds the pookkalam and onathappan missing these days, as most people live in flats. Kejeriwal agrees. “Onam today is commercialised and people have no time for festivities, owing to their busy life. Even onathappan is nowhere to be seen,” he says. Luthra feels that Onam has lost its old charm of family bonding due to the nuclear family. According to Gaffar, though Onam has changed drastically from what it was earlier, its essence remains the same, and still evokes a great deal of nostalgia - the unmatched aura of the good old Onam days!