ONAM 2010

I captured this flower in the Periyar valley. It used to be abundant on our fence around our tharavadu. Usually, this flowers during Onam season. Once in Brazil, I found that the seeds of this flower was being sold for USD15 per piece. When I returned to Kerala, I searched around and could not find it any more. I did find it in some places later, but has disappeared from my village - like the joy of Onam.  (Sneha asked me the name of the flower. Well, it is known as Lily Gloriosa and it is the national flower of Zimbabwe and State flower of Tamil Nadu. It is called Kithonni, Mendoni, Mettoni, Menthonni (മേന്തോന്നി) etc... in Kerala and Kandhal ( காந்தள்) in Tamil while in Italy they call it Superba del Malabar!!)

Well, today is Thiruvonam.
Onam has lost its charm and significance in today's world (well, at least I feel so).
Onam was a festival of harvest, but there is so little farming today that it is no more a festival of harvest.
Life was minimal in those days and therefore the wait for Onam to have a sumptuous sadya and new clothes and celebrations was so much that Onam was the highest point of any one's life each year. All relatives used to come to the Tharavadu for the Onam from distant places and share the joy of being together and sharing.
Today, it is almost Onam every day for a majority of Malayalees, no more harvesting seasons, no more waiting for the new clothes and no Onam kali.
What is left is the abundant supply of seconds liquor from the new three star bars (they call it hotels) opened in even villages and the abundant supply of cheap liquor from the Government through beverages corporation. And yes, we also buy flowers from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka worth around 100 crores for Onam and buy a lot of clothes, TVs, cars etc...
Onam has become synonymous with traffic blocks, large crowds in shopping centers, in front of flower stalls and yes, large ques in front of Beverages corporation outlets.
I also saw some bodies scattered around the most infamous bars in the city!
No more visiting relatives in the village, no more greeting cards, but e-mails, tweets, scraps...
By the way, the best email greeting I got was from a friend in Mumbai, a Mumbaikar, Ashok Joshi!
Despite all that, I come back to Kerala every year for Onam, looking for that lost past, hoping against hope to see the Onam Kali, pakita kali, kummattikali and the rest. Always knowing that I won't see it. But, one cannot stop hoping, right?
Hail Mallus and Mallu Onam!View Blog