Tag: Onam

‘Pookalam’ Or Floral Carpet During Onam Celebrations

Staff ReporterCulture 0

Just as the monsoon bids adieu to the land of South India, the air filled with vigor, joy, and happiness with the arrival of Onam. We know it as a significant festival celebrated majorly in Kerala. From the intricately decorated elephants to the wild Pulikali dancers. And from the gigantic snake boats lined up at the shore to the gorgeous floral decorations. This festival paints the state in more colors than you can imagine.

Onam pookalam Kerala festivalMarking the end of monsoons and welcoming the harvest season, this Kerala festival, Onam 2021 is a Hindu festival celebrated annually. It is celebrating all over India with its origin in the Kerala state. One of the biggest festivals of the state, the Onam festival is celebrating for 10 days. Normally it is during the Malayalam month of Chingam. It fills the heart of people with gaiety and brings them together to be a part of this vibrant and cultural festival.
The festivities of Onam reflect the traditions and culture of Kerala in the most unique way. While we celebrating Onam, Onam attire is an important factor. Onam saree is so special in that. From August 12, 2021, to August 23, 2021, the Onam festival date 2021 has celebrated around the world.

The Onam celebrations see the making of pookalam or athapookalam, a rangoli made with fresh flowers in various intricate designs. As the Onam festivities draw to a close with Thiruonam, here’s what to know about the importance of pookalam which is also called pookolam. Pookalams or Onam athams are generally circular in shape.

‘Poo’ stands for flower and ‘Kolam’ stands for decorative designs or rangoli, made using fresh flowers and petals. In home and around public places we have to design pookalams. This is in honor of King Mahabali who believed to return to his people every year. The legend goes that as per the boon granted by Lord Vishnu’s avatar Vamana, King Mahabali who has sent to the Nether World or Pataal Lok, could only pay a visit to his kingdom and people annually. Therefore, to celebrate his return, people put floral carpets or pookalam.

While a traditional pookalam consists of 10 flowers, people nowadays said to use all kinds of flowers which are available in the market. And with that, they make multiple rings dedicated to several deities. As per tradition, each of the floral rings has dedicated to deities. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, their sons Ganesha and Kartikeya, Lord Brahma, Vamana Avatar of Lord Vishnu, and King Mahabali are those deities. The floral patterns have profound meaning.

Onam festival history dates back to the Sangam period when Onam was used to be celebrated for a month. According to the ancient legends, we celebrate this festival of rain flowers to commemorate the arrival of Asura King Mahabali’s annual visit from Patala (the world underneath). The time when the demon king Mahabali (grandson of Prahlad), who was known for his generosity rules in Kerala, the story revolves around. His growing popularity became a threat for the gods and they came to Lord Vishnu for seeking help. Sensing their concern, Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a poor Brahmin called Vamana.

When he arrived at the kingdom of the demon king. He asked Mahabali to grant him the land which he can cover within three feet. Being a kind-hearted and charitable person, the king granted his wish. And soon the Vamana started to grow in size and his first and second steps covered the sky and earth. As the brahmin was about to take the third step, the demon king stepped up. And asked him to keep his last step on his head which lead him to Patala. However, for the good deeds of Mahabali, Lord Vishnu granted him a boon that he can annually visit his people which led to the celebration of the Onam festival in India.

We celebrate the harvest festival Onam in the month of Chingam and lasts for 10 days. The festival comprises numerous fun activities like Vallam Kali (boat races), Pulikali (tiger dances), Onathappan (worship), during these 10 days. A festive spread in the form of Onam Sadhya is a must-have part of the celebrations.

Onam celebrations by MASCONN showcases Indian culture in Trumbull, CT

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Culture/Religion 0

(Trumbull, CT: September 18th, 2016): Over 400 people from Fairfield County in the state of Connecticut participated in the 9th annual Onam celebrations organized by Malayalee Association of Southern Connecticut (MASCONN) at Madison Middle School, Trumbull, CT on Saturday, September 17, 2016.

Men, women, children and youth dressed in traditional attire, were welcomed with a colorful Pookoalm and the traditional lamp at the entrance of school, giving them a warm traditional Indian welcome.

Onam celebrations at the Madison Middle School auditorium began with the lighting of the traditional Nailavilakku or lamp by honored guests of MASCONN and the executive committee members. Legendary King Mahabali was welcomed to the stage with “Pancha Vadyam” and a warm traditional welcome by a dozen beautiful women dressed in traditional attire, who later on performed Thiruvathirakkali, a

folk dance, typically a Keralite dance, well known for its essence, grandeur and simplicity. In this traditional dance form, women clad in traditional Kerala attire with gold brocade attached to it and wearing jasmine garlands on their heads, rhythmically moved around a lighted Nilavilakku, singing and clapping their hands, to the tune of a particular genre of songs called Thiruvathirappaattu, which  is meant solely for this graceful dance.

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“Onam awaits one very special visitor, Kerala’s most loved legendary King Maveli. He is the King who once gave the people a golden era in Kerala. The King is so much attached to his kingdom that it is believed that he comes annually from the nether world to see his people living happily. It is in honor of King Mahabali, affectionately called Onathappan, that Onam is celebrated,” a young child on stage explained the story behind this cultural festival of Kerala, a southern Indian state.

The cultural events consisted of several live dances, classical Bharatnatyam, fusion, Bollywood, folk and contemporary dances, live music and songs, sung in Malayalam, a language spoken by Malayalees around the world. Children from the ages of five to older adults delighted the audience with their melodious voices, and several dances both cinematic and traditional, showcasing the rich variety of dance forms prevalent in India. Through “Ottam Thullal” another traditional art from Kerala, the evolution of MASCONN into a strong organization today, was explained.

“MASCONN an offshoot of the natural growth of the Indian-American especially Malayalee Community in the southern Connecticut region,” said Unni Thoyakkattu, President of MASCON, in his welcome address. “In a very short period, we have grown by leaps and bounds and we strive to meet the growing needs of our community.

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 In his Onam message, Mahabali told the audience that the “beauty of the festival lies in its secular fabric. People of all religions, castes and communities celebrate the festival with equal joy and verve. Onam also helps to create an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood by way of various team sports organized on the day,” he added.

The whole ambience was filled with nostalgia since it was an occasion for all the Malayalees in Connecticut to cherish their childhood memories, especially everyone enjoyed the sumptuous Onam Sadhya (meal), the most important and main attraction of the day with different traditional dishes and ”payasam” that was served on banana leaves.

Living in countries that are far away from their homeland, in the midst of different cultures, busy with the day-to-day mundane work and home tasks, the Non Resident Indian (NRI) community made this “land of opportunities” their home, have brought with them these cultural traditions and have sought to pass them on to their children, who are often born and raised here.

SAMSUNG CSC Onam is a festival celebrated in the south-western state of Kerala, India. The Keralites or the Malayalees, the illustrious people of the beautiful state are known around the world, celebrate the festival of Onam wherever they are.

The celebration of Onam festival provides them with a perfect opportunity to encourage the new generation of children of Indian origin to witness, learn and appreciate these rich traditions, even while it offers the first generation NRIs to stay connected and cherish the rich cultural heritage they hold so dear to them.

This fast growing presence of the Indian American community was evident when more than four hundred people from across the southern state of Connecticut came together to participate in and cherish their rich cultural heritage and be part of the annual Onam celebrations organized by the Malayalee Association of Southern Connecticut (MASCONN) on Saturday, September 17th, 2016 at Madison MiddleSchool, Trumbull, CT. The more than four-hours long cultural extravaganza was in many ways “reliving the culture and traditions” and a “cherishing the past with a view to pass it on to the future generation.”

Malayalee Association of Southern Connecticut (MASCONN) which was formed less than ten years ago, the cultural extravaganza was in many ways “reliving the culture and traditions” and a “cherishing the past with a view to pass it on to the future generation.”

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