Date:06/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/06/stories/2008100654260500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Onam celebrated with gaiety

Staff Reporter

In the feast served on banana leaf, rice is the main course

VISAKHAPATNAM: Mats of flowers called `Pookalam’ – the glorious circular designs made by women wearing traditional dresses and the wide spread of `Onasadya’ – popular as Onam feast – were the main attractions at the Onam celebrations by Kerala Kala Samaithi here on Sunday.

The Pookalam made in glorious circular designs with petals containing 10 rings typified the 10-day Onam festival. “As our people are scattered all over the city, we wanted to have a grand celebration on Sunday for mutual convenience,” said Kerala Kala Samithi advisory board member S. G. Vijaya Kumar.

In the feast served on banana leaf, rice was the main course along with `upperies’ (fried banana pieces), `papaddams’ (round flour paste), several types of pickles and payasam made with jaggery. A total number of 20 dishes were served. About 2,500 people took part.

TSR gesture

A formal meeting was conducted on the occasion of Onam and the members of the samithi applauded when Congress MP T. Subbarami Reddy, who graced the occasion as the chief guest, announced a grant of Rs.10 lakhs for construction of a community hall. He described people from Kerala as most enterprising and said he would try to improve flight and rail connectivity from here to Kerala.

The cultural programme consisted of traditional `Onasadya’ and `Ottamthullal’ (Kalyana Sougandikam) by Kalamandalam Mahendran and troupe. Scholarships for meritorious students among the family members of the samithi were distributed on the occasion.

Samithi president K.A. Jacob welcomed the gathering and secretary George Thomas read out a report and proposed a vote of thanks.