Ask any Malayali in the city, and Onam isn’t complete without a little bit of home. But for those living away from its warmth, celebrating Onam in Bengaluru comes with practical challenges – there may be little room for an elaborate pookalam, little time to prepare a traditional sadhya and, of course, the annual scramble to put together the perfect festive fit. Fret not, a little creativity can go a long way in bringing the festive spirit home.
Room For Onam
Sandra S, senior analyst recommends simple changes that instantly make a home feel festive. “Hang marigold garlands across the entryway and place a brass nilavilakku in a corner. Instead of a floor pookalam, place an uruli, fill it with water and arrange flowers in circles. Cleaning up will also be hassle-free. Lay down a kasavu mundu as a table runner and swap the cushion covers for cream or gold-bordered fabric,” she says. Athul Krishna, communication manager, agrees, as he adds, “Change the tablecloths, sofa spreads, and pillow covers, which visually and mentally create a sense of festivity. Then bring out festive special (seasonal) snacks on the dining table, which anyone can come and eat, or just seeing them can evoke the festival spirit.”
Sharing Is Caring
In a city like Bengaluru, those juggling the festive mood of Onam with work may find it easier to share the workload with friends. Homemaker Sheeba Ravindran prefers doing just that. “Instead of stressing over a full spread, a few of us close friends pool our efforts. We stick to the absolute essentials like avial, sambar and payasam so the true essence of Onam isn’t lost. For the paal payasam, I use a simple pressure-cooker shortcut – rice, milk and sugar left on low heat for half an hour makes a dessert with barely five minutes of effort,” she says. Whereas Krishna recommends having a structure in mind for the sadhya. “My must-haves are puli inji, thoran, avial, kalan, sambar, pickle and payasam. Chop your vegetables and refrigerate them first so you save time while cooking,” he says. And if cooking isn’t possible, Sandra says ordering sadhya is always an option – just serve it on a plantain leaf for that unmistakable festive touch.
Life (and space)-Saving Pookalam
Living in a 1,000-sqft apartment did not stop account manager Aiswarya Ghosh from hosting a 20-person Onam celebration. With limited floor space, she changed the traditional floral arrangement. “Who said a pookalam has to be round? We used one corner of the house and created a quarter-shaped pookalam instead. It took up much less space, but still gave us that full Onam feeling,” she says. Ravindran also suggests thinking beyond the traditional format. “If flowers are hard to get, we use colour powders. It is simple, but still brings that festive element into the home,” she says.
DIY: Dress, Improvise & Yay!
If you don’t have time to buy a new outfit but want a new feel, photographer and illustrator Malavika S suggests turning a plain or old kurti or kurta into an Onam canvas. “Take an old kurti and add a few hand-drawn elements using fabric paints or textile colours. Even a border, flowers, coconut trees or little festive motifs can completely transform it,” she says, adding, “You don’t have to be an artist either; even finger-painted flowers or dots can look beautiful.” For an even quicker fix, Ghosh pairs her grandmother’s set mundu with a ready-made blouse. “Just drape the set mundu, add some jewellery, flowers and bangles, and you’re pretty much Onam-ready,” she says. Sandra says wearing anything white or something with classic kasavu, putting your hair in a low sleek bun or half up pin and wrapping a strand of fresh jasmine flowers will make a big difference, noting, “Since the outfit is all about kasavu and set-mundu, it doesn’t require a perfectly stitched matching blouse and we could easily pair it up with anything from our wardrobe.”