Colorful Onam Celebrations
Onam is a festival of grandeur celebrated all over our southern state of Kerala. This marks the homecoming of the legendary king, Mahabali. The festival roughly falls between August - September every year and this year, during the Malayalam month of Chingam. This year it comes on 5th September 2006.
The significant features of Onam include the beautifully drawn Kolam (or Rangoli), which significantly adores the Onam festival and the Keralite homes that observe and celebrate Onam. The special Onam recipes that form part of the celebrations are
- Avial
- Banana Halwa
- Cocunut Chutney
- Idli
- Mor Kozhambu
- Tomato Rasam
- Palada Pradhaman
- Parippu Curry
- Injithair
- Olan
- Thoran
- Pineapple Pachady [Kerala has rich pine apple stores. My trip to Sabarimala, you can see lot of pineapple selling happening all around. It refreshes you very much].
- Masala Pesarattu
- Rice Puttu
- and so on and so forth ...
Also check out the Onam Festival website.
Sabarimala temple opens for Onam today
Melsanthi Sukumaran Nampoothiri opens the temple today morning at 5:30 AM in the presence of Tantri Kantaru Rajeevaru. There would be special poojas till September 7. The Mel Santhi would sponsor the Uttara Sadhya on Monday, which consists of a sumptous meal with eighteen types of dishes. Again there is a sacred combination of number 18 here. The Grand Thiruvonam feast is sponsored by devotee Dr. Manikanta das.
On September 7, Sahasrakalasabishekam and Kalabhabhishekam are offered to the diety and then the temple would close at 10 PM the same day after Athazha Pooja and Harivarasanam.
Let us wish our Keralite fraternities a very Happy Onam and pray Lord Ayyappa for health and prosperity of one and all.
No comments:
Post a Comment