The Malayalee community of the far north city of Whangarei celebrated the
festival of Onam with much pomp and gaiety at a colourful event held on
Tuesday, September 6 at Forum North Trust community event centre.
More than 500 members of the community attended the cultural event
adorned with several cultural programs including the Pulikali, Chenda melam,
Thiruvathira, and other classical dance forms performed by around 60
performers.
The dignitaries attending the event included the Mayor of Whangarei, Sheryl
Mai, Labour Party MP Dr. Emily Henderson, National Party MP, Dr. Shane Reti,
Councillors Nicholas Connop and Vince Cocurullo, and Ethnic Laison Officer,
Northland Police, Mario Kake.
Onam is the biggest festival of the Indian state of Kerala – the God’s own
country – and is celebrated by Keralites all around the world with spectrum of
cultural events.
The festival commemorates the mythological figures of King Mahabali – who as
per legends ruled the state of Kerala and his reign was revered for the
exemplary good governance – and Vamana – an avatar of Lord Vishnu one of
the supreme deities of Hinduism.
Speaking with the Indian Weekender, Sijoy Alex, President Whangarei
Malayalee Association said, “"The essence of Onam is all about giving, sharing,
loving, and celebrating together. Onam is one such festival that brings people
together and I would like to thank the community for their participation and
involvement"
The main attraction of the cultural event that garnered maximum attention of
the audiences were Pookalam (Floral carpet), Vadam Vali (Tug of war) and the
traditional dinner 'Onam Sadhya' - which is a feast of Kerala origin consisting of
a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes usually served on a banana leaf.
For uninitiated, Onam Sadhya (which means banquet in Malayalam) is one of
the biggest star attractions of the festival of Onam for the people outside of
Kerala for it introduces them to the wonderful cuisine and culture of the state
of Kerala.
Expressing gratitude on the cooperation of the members of the Association for
the successful organisation of the event, Rabin Ranji, Secretary WMA said, “To
organize an event of this grandeur and scale, we needed support from all
quarters, and I would like to acknowledge the efforts of all those involved. It is
great to see the wider community in Whangarei attending the Onam event,
and we hope to draw a bigger crowd next year!"