Onam fervour is back in Malayali households this year

Onam is a time for family get together

Onam, for us, is a really important way for all generations of the family to get together. As this is my newly married niece’s first Onam after her wedding — she got married just last month — it is very special. We have been putting the floral rangolis (atha poo) outside our door for the past nine days and it will culminate today on the tenth day. We make special Kerala dishes like olan, kalan, pulisseri, etc. My daughter’s favourite dish is mambazha pulisseri (with ripe mango) that my mother makes. My sister-in-law Renu is an expert cook of Kerala food too. I am just waiting to have some yummy payasam.

—Parvathi Nayar, Artist

Thrilled to celebrate the festival with daughter

I am really thrilled to celebrate the festival after three years. My daughter Anu is flying down from Mumbai to be with us. We will have an onasadya at our house. I am planning to put up a decoration that’s very similar to Vishukani. We will be putting a pookalam outside and lighting a lamp inside the house.

—Minnie Menon, jewellery designer

It is time to create more memories

Actually, I am in Trivandrum to celebrate Onam with my parents. My sister has come down from Chennai. Our celebrations began yesterday (Onnam Onam) as we planned — we prepared sadya together enjoying it all the way. On Tiruvonam day (September 8), there will be more sadya followed by pooja at our family temple where all uncles, aunts and cousins will get together. Time to reminisce about our childhood and create more memories. That’s what Onam is all about — spreading love and happiness. The fact that we are fortunate enough to celebrate Onam together feels even more precious, especially, after the pandemic played havoc with our travel plans in the last two years. We couldn’t even celebrate the golden wedding anniversary of our parents. So indeed these moments are priceless.

—Rema Kumar, designer

Waiting to relish onasadya

We missed celebrating Onam for two years because of the pandemic. So, this year we have decided to have a lot of fun and have invited some guests to our place. My mother-in-law is making a lavish onam spread. I am actually excited to relish sadya after a two-year break, especially, payasam. We will also be putting pookalam with children in the family.

Soundariya, Founder - Lime Soda