MUSCAT : With a long weekend coinciding with the Prophet’s Birthday holiday, the Malayali community across Oman came together to celebrate Onam, Kerala’s most cherished harvest festival, in grand style. The extended break gave families, friends, and cultural associations a chance to embrace tradition, renew bonds, and share in the joy of festivities.
Across Muscat, Sohar, Salalah, and other cities, community groups organized colourful cultural programmes featuring Thiruvathira dance, music performances, drama, and children’s competitions. The floral carpets (pookkalams) adorning stages and community halls became a symbol of unity, as people of all ages joined hands in keeping Kerala’s traditions alive thousands of kilometres away from home.
No Onam celebration is complete without the grand vegetarian feast, the Onam Sadhya. Restaurants and catering groups in Oman reported record demand this year, with pre-bookings filling up weeks in advance. Served on banana leaves with over 20 dishes – including avial, olan, sambar, erissery, and sweet payasams – the sadhya became the heart of the celebration, offering expatriates a true taste of Kerala’s cultural heritage.
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Community leaders highlighted how Onam in Oman reflects more than nostalgia; it represents resilience, togetherness, and the ability of expatriates to keep their traditions alive while contributing to the society they now call home. “This festival is not just about remembering our roots,” said one organizer. “It is about passing our values of unity, generosity, and joy to the next generation growing up here in Oman.”
As the long weekend drew families together, the celebrations echoed the story of Mahabali – the legendary king whose reign is remembered for equality and prosperity. In Oman, those values resonated as Keralites turned the occasion into a vibrant reminder that traditions travel wherever people do, flourishing even in lands far from Kerala.
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