It's Onam... The regional festival of Kerala... Festival celebrated commemorating Lord Mahabali...
But why is it just another Onam?
Onam for the present generation is just “Pookkalamalsaram” (Floral carpet designing competition) and wearing traditional dress for namesake. And it is really sad to see few people finding it difficult to handle the traditional dress! In an unsettling way... Quite an ill-fate!
An Onam with the television featuring all hits(or so-called) of recent times, with all the Malayalees, sticking themselves in front of idiot-box to see the “Onavisesham”(Onam celebration) of their favourite stars, depriving themselves of the so called “vishesham”.
An Onam with all the textile shops marking down their prices. Thanks to them... At least the habit of buying Onakkodi (New dress) resides...
The pious, benign and chaste feeling of visiting temple, gathering flower on the way back, putting the floral carpet together with family, preparing the Onasadhya (feast) are all lost heaven...
I am afraid the future generations will be finding it hard to know the real pulse of Onam... No one will know what “Thumbappoo” & “Mukkoottippoo” means.
And the saddest part is that I am no exception...
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