Mumbai enjoys Onam flavours

September 21, 2017 05:16 pm | Updated 05:17 pm IST

Onam celebrations in Mumbai  with Bhanu Kumar story

Onam celebrations in Mumbai with Bhanu Kumar story

The Malayalis in Mumbai may not be able to go to their home state for festivals such as Onam, instead they celebrate the occasion in the city for several days, spread over convenient weekends for nearly two months.

Onam, though synonymous with Keralites, has gained a universal flavour in this cosmopolitan city. The joy of the harvest festival is experienced in the post- monsoon, cool green ambiences of residential complexes, at temples, community centres and event spaces... Amchi Mumbai reverberates.

Radha Bhaskaran Nair from Borivili West has years of performing and mentoring experience in the traditional and folk art forms of Kerala. Besides dance, there are songs, skits and over a hundred participants showcase the cultural repertoire of the Malayali Samajam.

Radha shared the credit as one of the teachers for team participation in the Guinness record of Kai Kotti Kali by 2639 dancers during the famed Mumbai Pooram festival of 2011.

“We have classes in Pookalam and host games like vadam vali, vatu kali to take our tradition to the next generation,” says Radha.

The Fine Arts Society (FAS), Chembur celebrates prominent festivals in their Community Hall to ensure participation of the residents in and around the suburb. The hall was aesthetically decorated with elaborate pookalam and nerabara.

Starting with the traditional Kai Kotti Kali, the cultural fare moved on to dance dramas ( Seethaapaharanam and Angulya Choodamani ) by Sanjeev Nair and Sruthi Menon and Mohiniyattom by students of Sushma Gopinath. The evening ended with a gastronomic spread of mouthwatering Malayali menu.

“The Onam sadhya is a welcome attraction for people of all communities who come to watch the cultural events,” says Janaki Ramakrishnan, president of FAS.

At Subramaniya Samaj, Chedda Nagar temple, it is an annual event, a mix of culture and rituals. Students of Shanmukhapriya, Upaasana, Shanmukha Arts and Angel Dance Academy took part. Besides dances on stage, there were hundreds who performed the signature dance of Onam on the floor of the hall.

“Besides professional Mohiniyattom and Bharatanatyam, there will be a range of folk and thematic dances. Two days before the event, we give free training to interested people and teach them the proper steps of Kai Kotti Kali,” informs Jayashree Nair, senior dance guru. Her daughter and disciple Sujata Nair, a multi-talented dancer, along with the students presented a traditional Mohiniyattom, in another venue in Chembur coinciding with Onam.

Accompanied by Abhishek Harinarayan on mridangam, Vijaya Prakash sings the melodic numbers while 20 dancers reproduce the rhythm in gracious movements, witnessed by family and friends at the Bhakta Sangham temple complex, Mulund West on Onam day.

“I spend days sourcing and selecting new songs suitable for dancers and set them to Kai Kotti Kali,” says Vijaya. Parvati Kumar, a member of the dance group. adds, “It is all for the love of the art and offering as prayer to god.”

Smita Allwyn and friends from Great Eastern Gardens in Kanjur Marg chose the third Sunday of September to celebrate. “We have to see everybody’s convenience, the exams and so on. We are amateurs and for the past seven years we have been performing the Thiruvadhira dance. We select from a playlist in Youtube and practice in the corridors,” says Smita.

The ladies literally let their hair down. The common outfit is the Onam saree or mundu enriched by the golden border, the dangling jhimikki, jasmine flowers and colour coded brocade blouses. The highlight is the elation that all these festivals bring.

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