Organizing onam celebration in your Apartment Community

Onam is no longer restricted to malayalis. Onam, predominantly, a Malayali festival, has now become a popular festival in many societies. As Keralites are very much spread in different parts of the country, Onam is no longer restricted to Malayalis. In a housing complex where people from various cultures and different religions share their lives together, many non Keralites and North Indians, join Keralites for Onam celebration.

Onam celebration, a festival of Kerala, involves a lot of merrymaking. As a secular festival, celebration of Onam is an open one, with much of tradition and human values which are found enjoyable for all enthusiasts, regardless their individual caste or religion.

According to mythology, Onam was the day when Raja Mahabali, legendary leader, was supposed to come back for visiting his kingdom after his death. The day is celebrated as the first day of a harvest year blessed with unlimited prosperity, wealth, and opulence all around. The festival of Onam is celebrated for 10 days involving flower carpets in front of houses to welcome the king, traditional dance, sumptuous vegetarian fare, fireworks and a lots of other joyous group activities.

Let’s have some ideas for celebrating Onam, which you can organize within your apartment community at ease.

Making “Athapookkalam” ( floral decoration)

It is one of the prime activities of Onam’s celebration. Pookkalam means flower carpet and it is created on the floor with colorful blooms. This flower carpet is kept well maintained for all ten days during the entire festival course. You can arrange a competition between your apartment residents for making Pookkalam. Traditionally, this floral competition is held on the 10th day of the festival and it is called “Thiruvonam”. Or, as a group activity, with lots of fun, a beautiful flower carpet can be put in front of the apartment complex.

Arrange a community feast

Traditionally Onam is celebrated as the first day of a harvest year on the good hope that the entire year ahead will be prosperous and graceful as it was in the realm of Raja Mahabali. Keeping an eye on happy future ahead, Keralites in the community can jointly organize a vegetarian feast with people from the entire housing community, where as other communities would offer in exchange for their festivals. Alternatively, a potluck can be arranged with a rule that all participating families will prepare and serve one traditional dish each, including traditional papadam and special pickle. You may plan to serve the entire meal on green banana leaves following native Malyali norm.

Traditional dance

During 10-day Onam celebration, you can arrange a dance festival for women in your housing complex in the community hall. Mostly Pulikali and Kaikotti Kali dances are performed during this fest. Malayali Children or ladies of in the community can do their bit. If you cannot arrange any competition or stage show with community people, you can hire some dancers for a dance stage show in your housing for enjoying Onam in its native tune.

Organize community Games

The focus of Onam and perhaps the most entertaining part of the festival is the provision of playing lots of outdoor games. As part of Onam celebration in your community you can also organize traditional games like Talappanthukali (the ball game) or Vadamvali (tug of war).

Fancy dress competition in housing complex

Onam fancy dress has become a new agenda of celebration as in this party everybody like men, women and kids can join wearing traditional dress of Kerala as the central theme.

Arrange a Firework Show

Onam is the celebration of happy moments. A firework show can be arranged in the apartment complex. Here, all members can join and take pleasure watching the grand fireworks show. The fund for hosting such a show should be collected from all members to make it a program for all.

These are some basic plans of celebrating Onam in your housing complex. However, if you have some more ideas, don’t forget sharing them with us.

Onam in 2013 is celebrated on September 16 Monday. Onam has now became a popular festival in many societies.