The traditional backdrop of Onam is quite intriguing. If you are new to all this stuff, then spare a moment to hear about this great festival. Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated with great pomp by the Keralites.
According to ancient records this festival marks the commemoration of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the mythical King Mahabali, whom the Keralites consider as their king. Onam is considered to be a harvest festival, reminding of Kerala’s agrarian past.
This beautiful festival showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Keralites. Onam is marked by festive rituals, traditional cuisine, dance and music.
Dubai
Dubai the land of dreams is a home to many Keralites. They have brought this great festival to the UAE, and celebrate it with utmost respect and joy.
With the mercury soaring in the UAE, Onam shopping reached a feverish pitch a couple of days before the festival. You could see big pamphlets of special foods in various supermarkets. Masses thronged the LuLu chain of hypermarkets to buy the vegetables, provisions, flowers and banana leaves.
Floral carpet
Onapookkolam or the floral carpet is the main attraction as far as Dubai is concerned. Local dailies flash photographs of pretty women decorating the pookkolam in their traditional attire. The floral carpet is made of gathering blossoms with several varieties of flowers, of different hues plucked into tiny pieces to suit the decorator’s purpose. The floral carpet is a work of art made with a delicate touch and a highly artistic sense.
Residents join together and make this festival a remarkable one. In our block Onam was celebrated early in the morning from 6 o clock to 8 o clock. Women dressed in their traditional attire made the pookkolam and did all the rituals. Sugar and spice do make your life sweet, is it not? For this auspicious occasion, sweets and Payasam were served to everyone. The show stopper was the huge elephant mannequin decorated with traditional jewels.
Onam Sadya
It is another indispensable part of this festival. The feast is quite lavish and grand with about 26 dishes and served on plantain leaves. Today being a public holiday in Dubai, many residents prepare their own Onam Sadya, while some expats order the special food from the restaurants.
Bobi Sasi, a homemaker who is very famous for her delicious cooking says, “I love to prepare this grand feast all by myself”. She adds, “I miss my family, friends and the traditional grandeur of the festival back home, but I make it a point to show the cultural richness of our heritage to my sons”.
Essence of Onam in Dubai
Dubai being a multicultural city has also its share of multicultural couples. It is very interesting to note how they manage to respect each other’s traditions and rituals and lead a happy life.
Tulsidas Nair is a keralite, while his pretty wife is from Thailand. They say “We respect each other’s culture” and they add “Our little daughter gets the best of both worlds”.
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