On October 22nd the Knanaya Catholic Community will be conducting their annual Onnam Celebration. The day will start off with mass followed by a general body meeting. After the meeting there will be food and numerous cultural programs that will represent what Onam is all about.
Onam is an ancient festival which still survives even today. It celebrates the homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali of Kerala. Onam is unique since Mahabali has been revered by the people of Kerala since prehistory. According to the legend, Kerala witnessed its golden era during the reign of King Mahabali. Everybody in the state was happy and prosperous and the king was highly regarded by his subjects. The emperor visited his people annually to see how everyone was doing. It is this visit of Mahabali that is celebrated as Onam every year. People celebrate the festival in a grand way and impress upon their dear King that they are happy and wish him well.
In the state of Kerala the festival lasts for ten days and during these ten days Kerala’s cultural heritage comes out in its best form. The courtyards in front of the houses are filled with traditional “pookalam”, multi-colored floral decorations on the floor. Onam Pookkalam is considered as a symbol for secularism. There is a lot of traditional food, music, and dance. Also, during these few days, people wear the color white or wear “setti” clothes. The Vallamkali is the biggest event during Onam. It is a boat race where about 100 oarsmen row huge and graceful snake boats and men and women come from far and near to watch the snake boats skim through the water.
On October 22nd we will be seeing a combination of the variety of activities performed during Onam in the state of Kerala. A general body meeting will be conducted after a catholic mass in malayalam is said. The meeting will cover what the Knanaya Community accomplished during the last year and discuss what they hope to accomplish in the next few months. Dinner will be served afterwards. The women of the community will conduct a traditional onam “sadya” (banquet). This is usually a feast served on banana leaves and serves rice along with at least an array of 4 dishes. Traditional pickles and papadam are also served. Dessert is usually “payasam”, a sweet dish made of milk, sugar and other traditional Indian savories. The cultural program, which is the highlight of the day, will follow right after desert. The programs will be performed by the people of the community and will consist of many traditional dances such as Thiruvadhira kali and Thumbi Tullal. Onam songs, which are collectively called Onappaattu, will also be sung by a group of kids. Most of the onam songs are praising Emperor Mahabali.
Everyone should come out for this grand event to experience the unique celebration of onam and witness the colorful culture of Kerala, India. One can learn about the Knanaya community through attending the general body meeting, taste great traditional Kerala food by attending the onam sadya, and witness the interesting and exciting onam activities during the cultural programs. I would be able to speak to the participants of the cultural program to inquire about what their experience was like preparing for these programs. I would also be able to speak to people of the community and the heads of the community to see what their experience is like attending the event and also ask them what it means to celebrate Onam in the U.S.
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