It was a day of fun and frolic that people mostly celebrated at their homes in ways befitting the tradition. Thiruvonam on Monday was marked by family get-togethers held rather quietly as residents preferred to partake of the spirit of Onam indoors.
It was a holiday mood with roads here remaining deserted. Most shops remained closed.
The streets became alive in the evening as people visited nearby beaches and the Town Square here where the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) is organising cultural programmes. The traditional sumptuous Onam feast, served in plantain leaves, was the culinary part of the festival.
‘Pookalams' arranged in various households provided a visual treat. Some people enjoyed the Onam feast at city restaurants. “I went with my mother to a hotel close to my home,” said Ashwin Raghunath, a resident of Burnassery here.
Onam symbolises happiness and prosperity, he said. A hotel in the town offered the feast with 36 special items including payasam, pachadi, kichadi, kalan, different types of pickles
at Rs.225 per head. The feast can be taken home by paying an extra amount. Another hotel had 25 items served at Rs.150 per head. The hotel employees said a number of residents had booked their orders in advance.
A large number of people used text messaging services to exchange greetings. ‘Happy Onam' messages in various formats landed in the inboxes of people.
The Payyambalam beach here, as usual, was the most-favoured destination of people.
