Onam is one magnificent festival that puts on display the beauty that is the state of Kerala. Malayalis in the City of Pearls, every year, leave no stone unturned to celebrate their rich culture. Hyderabad is known for welcoming and celebrating festivals from different communities across the globe, like its own. We find out how the Malayali community in the city plans to ring in their favourite harvest festival.
Actor Anupama Parameswaran, who is currently basking in the mindblowing success of her latest outing Karthikeya 2 is a proud Malayali. While Onam is usually a family affair for her, this year, she says, she’s occupied with back-to-back shoots until the end of 2022. “Onam celebrations this year will be on the sets of my upcoming film. I’m caught up with several shoots and commitments that don’t leave me much time to fly home and back. This has been the case for a while now,” says the workaholic.
Lakshmi Nambiar, the owner of Shrishti Art Gallery in Jubilee Hills, has always ensured she celebrates Onam with her family but this year it’s going to be a little different. “My in-laws are home this time around and I am out of town. Every year they prepare and eat something called the Onam Sadhya, along with many other lip-smacking dishes like our kheer called the paayasam — that was the plan this year too. We were also going to have our cousins come over to celebrate with us, but since my daughter has not been keeping well, we made some last-minute change of plans,” she tells CE. Pradeep Nambiaar, who is one of the most active members of the popular Malayali community Margadarsi Balagokulam, says that Onam is something they look forward to, eagerly.
Sharing what the plans look like this year, he says, “We kickstarted our Onam celebrations last month. There are a few cultural organisations and over 50 Malayali groups across the twin cities. Every weekend, we plan family get-togethers and all come together during Onam feasts. This time, our celebrations will go on until October. It would be safe to say that Onam is mostly a festival known for the family reunions it demands from Malayalis wherever they are in the world. People cross oceans to visit their parents and families.”