On the last day of quarterly exams, our happiness used to be multifold that day. Winding up the exams, yes, but that alone was not the reason and any student at Kerala be it school or college would agree with this 40 year old me who feels like a 14-year-old taking this nostalgic trip down memory lane. ‘Kerala’ fondly known as ‘God’s own country’ is a little state in the south of India. Coming back to our happiness part, despite the fact that it was our 10 days vacation time, it’s that thought of how those days were going to be was the real reason. And this final day of our exam was the penultimate reason for our happy dancing hearts and the widest smiles on our faces. We kick start the biggest festival of us ‘Mallus,’ ‘Onam celebration’!
‘Mallus’ that’s what we are fondly (with dollops of pun) addressed by the rest of the world and our most important festival ‘Onam’.
Why it is so important if you may ask? Then I would say there is no other festival I’ve ever witnessed which truly depicts ‘Unity in diversity’ or should I say what the country ‘India’ itself stands for. Onam a festival of Kerala spans over 10 days has no religious connotation whatsoever. It’s one festival I’ve observed which is celebrated with equal enthusiasm by each human of Kerala. As per the legend, the demon king Mahabali who once ruled Kerala visits his subjects annually during these 10 days.
The reason for his visit? Well, he was so righteous in his rule that Gods had to come up with a plan to handle his overwhelming popularity.
They send ‘Vamana’ to tackle this issue and Vamana disguised as a dwarf approaches king Mahabali while performing a ‘Yagna’ (a religious ritual) and asks for land measuring three paces in alms. The generous King takes no time granting his wish and then Vamana who in reality is lord Vishnu increases his stature and claims the skies with his first, with his second he covers the netherworld, and when Mahabali realizes his third pace will claim the whole of earth he offers his head and thus the third fatal step of lord Vishnu pushes him to the underworld. But before this, the noble king gets a boon from the lord that he may visit his people yearly once.
One thing I know is we eagerly await the visit of our king. The scrumptious ‘sadhya’ (the vast spread of meals) on a banana leaf.
The Pathan me would ditch biryani for this delicacy any day. The enchanting ‘pookalam’ (flower carpets) all these are feeling only a Malayali would know. The beautiful ‘kasavu saree’ still remains an elusive muse for me. I haven’t mastered the art of draping it yet but no matter where I am, I make sure I try draping this piece of beauty if not for anyone then for my mirror and the person smiling back right at me! Well, you can take a Mallu out of Kerala but you can’t take Kerala out of a Mallu.
The Onam festivities have kick-started. An added reason for Onam celebration at home is b’day of my main man (my Abba) am drooling over the thought of Sadhya which Ammi and gang prepare and my heart is doing its happy dance reminiscing all those gorgeous pookalams we made back at school.
And as I hum the Onam song ‘Maveli naadu vaanidum kaalam’ and the next line which says ‘All humans are one’. All my heart encompasses is, I am proud of being a ‘Mallu’.
Try whatever you may divide us but you’ll fail every single time. Our demon king still protects us with all his might and love, and we will stay inseparable as ‘Humans’ for life.
In a way so beautiful that God’s have claimed ‘Kerala’ as their own country! The Onam celebration is great here.
