Onam is an immensely popular annual festival in the coastal state of Kerala in southern India. It commemorates the good governance of the legendary King Mahabali, who ruled Kerala in ancient India. The festival celebrates the yearly homecoming of this generous king, who as per mythology, was tricked by envious Gods and sent to the netherworld, after being granted his sole wish to visit the people of Kerala each year on the day of Onam.
The Onam celebration in Cessange was attended by around 300 participants. The event was attended by participants from the region of Kerala, other states of India as well as European well-wishers.
The entrance to the hall was decorated with a flower carpet known as ‘Pookalam’. The cultural program was kicked off with the surprise entrance of ‘Mahabali’, in a beautifully crafted handmade costume. Cultural performances included numerous folk songs and traditional classical dances. For many this was trip down the memory lane to their childhoods, for the younger generation this was an introduction to Kerala’s rich cultural heritage. The traditional Onam games like tug of war, musical chair etc. were received with huge applause as the participants immersed themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of the event.
Young artists with inspiring talent amazed the audience. Each performance exemplified the passion of the community and the celebration of their cultural roots. Lindsay K, President of the Malayali Association said, “I’m very happy that we were able to organize Onam at this scale and especially grateful for the overwhelming support we received from the entire community to setup, coordinate and run this event”.
A key highlight of the event was traditional gourmet lunch called ‘Sadya’, with twenty dishes served on a large banana leaf. This vegetarian lunch included a variety of sweet, salty, spicy and crunchy delicacies with multiple courses, ending with a traditional dessert called ‘Payasam’.
“Awesome event! Very well organized and everything was impeccable. Thanks for the experience. Sadya was ultimate! I had a few tears as I have not had a traditional one served on plantain leaf since moving to Luxembourg.” says Ritesh R, one of the guests who relocated to Luxembourg two years ago.
This was the first Onam event hosted by Malayali Association Luxembourg. The association plans to conduct similar celebrations to spread the joy in upcoming years. Do visit www.mallux.org for more photos and tune in for future events from the Malayali Association.
