KOCHI: Time was when freshness came with Onam, the harvest festival, when nature was at its blooming best, full of colour and charm. A time when everyone celebrated with nature. When school closed, the days from ‘Atham’ to ‘Thiruvonam’ were fun-filled. With flower baskets made of screw pine leaves we plucked the tiny and delicate flowers, feeling their softness, learning about each plant and growing closer to them. Who will feel like destroying these beauties of nature we nurture with care?” For Atham and Chithira we put only white flowers namely, ‘thumba’, ‘poochapoo’ and ‘aripoo’ - two circles. Our designs were invariably circular. We went to harvested and yet-to-be-harvested paddy fields looking for ‘nellippoo’ from the creepers twined around paddy stalks. It’s sad to note that flowers like ‘chittadipoo’, ‘kadalipoo’, ‘mananokki’ and a few more have become extinct. “Since thumba, thechi, mukkutty and arippoo were abundant in Choondymala, we, cousins and friends, walked up the hill to gather flowers. Stories of the deserted hill and the haunted tree on which a tribesman had committed suicide did give us the creeps, yet we explored and picked flowers from the place. We learnt the thrill of exploration and adventure. Onakooval in loud voices kept track of our position as we picked the flowers to the rhythm of the song ‘poove polipoove’.” From Uthradam onwards two pookalams had to be made and for Thiruvonam we put around 20 circles of colourful handpicked flowers and made the Thrikkakkarappan out of thumba, enjoying every moment of it. Today’s children hardly get a chance to feel the beauty and unravel the mysteries of nature.”
The fragrance of Onam was everywhere. The aroma of banana chips frying in coconut oil, sambar, the melting of jaggery and different kinds of payasam wafted through the air. The sadya was cooked, not provided by caterers. Even the rituals associated with Onam helped hone the best of human traits. Waking early and being welcomed by the misty and fresh morning, the early morning bath, the making of the onathara, applying cow dung on it and then putting the flowers were exciting. Today flowers are bought to adorn designer pookalams. Vegetables, coloured and otherwise are main ingredients of pookalams that are highly imaginative, triggering rivalry. Commercialisation takes away the beauty of the festival. Earlier there was healthy rivalry which strengthened minds and erased negative thoughts.
Now, even for Onakkodi, parents compete along with kids. Traditional dresses hardly have takers, modern dresses including boots and shoes are in demand. People lured by umpteen offers crowd all the shops. Onam is turning into a festival for shopping and the festive spirit is in projecting oneself. The spirit of camaraderie and the feeling of togetherness that spread values of tolerance and love is sadly missing.
All the rituals of Onam were a treat to the senses, uplifting every soul as it mixed religion and culture. One good thing that we see today is that the majority of Keralites are partaking in Onam celebrations, and breeding communal harmony. Just as the song goes - ‘Maveli Nadu Vaneedum Kalam , Manushyarellarumonnupole...’