Clad in traditional attire, with the laughter of joy echoing, the Malayali community welcomed the festival Onam. It is the harvest festival that is celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. The festival takes place during the Malayalam month, Chingam, as per the Malayali calendar, which comes in between the months of August and September.
This harvest festival is celebrated in honour of Lord Vishnu’s Vamana Avatar and also celebrates the homecoming of King Mahabali, who was considered the ideal King of Kerala. The festival is celebrated with a lot of joy and devotion with family and friends. Cultural elements like Vallam Kali, Pulikkali, Pookkalam, Onatthappan, ThumbiThullal, Onavillu, Kazhchakkula. Onapottan, Atthachamayamand the likes add flavour to the festivity.
The Auckland Malayali community celebrated Onam with a lot of enthusiasm and devotion, bringing out the essence of the festival by following the traditions and customs just as they are in Kerala. The event started with Sadhya, the Onam feast, which comprised of a variety of traditional sweets and savouries along with the meal. The evening proceeded with a variety of cultural programmes, each bringing out the spirit of Kerala that emotionally transported most of the audience present at the venue back to their home country.