CHENNAI: It is the festival that knows not to differentiate and is, if nothing, a proponent of equality.
This much was evident from the Onam celebrations organised by the Madras Kerala Samaj, an association of city Malayalees, where the three major religions received measured representations during the cultural fest that followed the initial proceedings.
Veteran Malayalam film director Hariharan, known for such films as Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Sargam and Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, speaking on the occasion as a guest of honour, elaborated on the uniqueness of the festival.
“In the Onam Sadya organised at the Thrikkakkara Vamana Moorthy temple in Kerala, I saw Hindus, Christians and Muslims sitting together to share the feast and the joy of the occasion. I wish not to see this unity limited to Onam, but extended to all major Indian festivals,” he said.
Hariharan said he was elated that Onam was no longer a festival confined to the borders of the native State, but has reached far and beyond to places that a Malayalee has been to. However, he expressed regret that he could no longer connect with the style of celebration, as he had witnessed during his childhood.
“Many things have changed. In my childhood, I used to scale hills and travel into the woods to collect the flowers to make Pookalam. These days, there are few hills and even fewer forests. We celebrated in the huge houses that we lived in. But with apartments, the charm is no more present,” said the filmmaker, who has been living in the city for the past 50 years.
“The meaning of the festival is getting lost somewhere along the way, among the current and the next generation,” he added.
Cultural displays included Thappattam, Kai Kotti Kali, Bharatanatyam, Asathoma and a vibrant mix of song-and-dance events performed by students of the school run by the Samaj’s educational trust.