The other day I had a dream that filled me with all the colours and fragrances – the desert in full bloom that has transformed into a gigantic flower carpet. Yes, the Onappookkalam that added charm to my childhood life, teenage and youth. The dream woke me up to a nostalgia, which gains a stronger ground in the mind of an expatriate!

When I share this to my friends, they make fun of me saying that Kerala’s nostalgia has migrated to the Arabian Gulf!  They are not wrong. No doubt, we the expatriates are more nostalgic than the residents of Kerala, and Onam transcends the boundaries of religious faith, which makes it a festive occasion for one and all. For us expatriates, one season of celebration ends with the beginning of the next one.

Personally for me, the days of Onam celebration was livelier, because I belong to a place where every festival has a high-octane spirit. In Thrissur, Onam is not just about the new dress or the floral decoration. We celebrate it with the tigers on the streets! Yes, the curtain falls on Onam celebration with the traditional Pulikali when the people in the costume of tigers and leopards throng the streets of Thrissur. 

Recently even the female tigers made their presence felt. From the flowers that bloomed in the gardens to the tigers in town, we live a celebration in all its bright shades of life.

But, this time again it is a virtual festival. Instead of the streets, they would enter the cyber space. Yes, Covid-19 has brought in a ‘new normal’ in everything, which at times creates an abnormal feeling among us the mortals!

Onam is not just about a religion or tradition. It is more about camaraderie and social harmony. A celebration built on a fascinating myth that talks of equality, and even social equity, that every individual dreams.

A festival that has its roots in the agrarian tradition of Kerala, it is the beautiful myths built over it that make it a celebration beyond the harvest festival. As a kid, I used to be part of the festivities in the neighbourhood to the schools. Even during the adolescence, that spirit of celebration remained intact, and we celebrated the festivals with more friends, and fluttered our wings.

What always aroused my curiosity is the myth that goes against the chronology of Dasavatara. Though the legends say that Kerala was created by Parasurama by throwing his axe, it is interesting to note that Vamana, the incarnation that sent the great ruler Maveli to Pathala, happened much before Parasurama, in the chronological order of the Avataras. “Is it that King Maveli ruled over a state that is yet to be born?” asks my friends.

But the spirit of celebration goes beyond the matrix of our so-called logical thinking. Onam has the poetic beauty of being with each other even in the tough times like the resent one. Of course, the Covid has brought about some restrictions for sure, but who can prevent the flowers from blooming even in the deserts?!

Yes, nothing can dampen its spirit – the spirit of belonging and sharing the simple joys of life, which forms the backbone of Onam.

About the author: Reena Abdulrahman is the Chief Operating Officer of Alhind Travel and Tours for GCC and Africa. Reena has over 21 years of experience working with top airlines in the region.