The real essence of Onam is achieved when family and friends catch up, breaking the barriers of religion, caste and creed to spend quality time together. It is not just a harvest festival for Malayalis, some even call it the festival of delicacies. With over 25 dishes laid on a banana leaf, flavours burst in the mouth the moment one digs into the Onam Sadhya. The traditional 'Onam Pookal', 'Pulikali', 'Kaikotikali', 'Vallamkali' and many more activities add to the grandeur of Onam, which sets the festive mood throughout Kerala for ten days.
But since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Malayalis have been largely missing out on this festive fervour, with many unable to spend quality time with their loved ones on the occasion. Reminiscing the good times they had during Onam before COVID-19 made an unexpected entry into their lives, senior citizens are now silently bearing the pain of not being with their children and grandkids.
“Those were the days of fun and excitement as we met cousins and friends during Onam. We used to run around aimlessly, busy with some activity or other, helping the elders with the chores and waiting eagerly for the sadhya,” says 78-year-old Krishnan Nair as he smiles, thinking about his childhood.
Mr Nair is miles away from his relatives and ancestral home in Pathanamthitta due to the pandemic and there is nothing he would not sacrifice to be back home during the festive season. "How I wish I could be back at my home, catching up with my neighbours and relatives and joking with my friends," he adds.
Although he is with his children and is being taken care of, the sense of being confined and unable to do what makes him happy has dampened the festive mood for him.
Mrs Aleyamma Chacko on the other hand has spent two years in Kerala with the hope of reuniting with her son at least for Onam. "My son works in the UAE and always made sure he would be home for Onam. For the last two years, I have not been able to meet him due to the pandemic. I do not know how to use a smartphone and sometimes our neighbour helps me to video call my son. It is heart-wrenching to imagine that this Onam also, I will not be able to meet him. I just hope things get back to normalcy as early as possible," she says.
Mental health experts say they have observed a drastic increase in depression cases among senior citizens since the onset of the pandemic. "Most of them hesitate to ask for help during these tough times till the situation goes out of hand. Caretakers should keep a close watch on them to look out for any behavioural changes and make sure they are connected with people or activities they love doing. Timely medical and professional help must be sought to avoid complications," says psychiatrist Dr Varun Rajan.
Even as senior citizens feel lost in this COVID-ravaged world, care must be taken to see that their sense of desperation is reduced. While it is important to ensure that they are physically healthy amid the pandemic, we should not neglect the mental trauma they often undergo.
*Names changed on request