‘Europeans lost in an Indian festival’

“You want to have a look how !?!

Beautiful decorations, festoons of flowers, chains of lights in every imaginable colour, sales signs nearly everywhere … – Kerala, especially Kochi seems to wake up out of a long winter sleep.

As I am a German, the current course of action reminds me of Christmas season in Europe. People either silently or in huge excitement are awaiting a special, high-spirited time, they are going crazy

“You want to have a look how !?!

Beautiful decorations, festoons of flowers, chains of lights in every imaginable colour, sales signs nearly everywhere … – Kerala, especially Kochi seems to wake up out of a long winter sleep.

As I am a German, the current course of action reminds me of Christmas season in Europe. People either silently or in huge excitement are awaiting a special, high-spirited time, they are going crazy

“You want to have a look how !?!

Beautiful decorations, festoons of flowers, chains of lights in every imaginable colour, sales signs nearly everywhere … – Kerala, especially Kochi seems to wake up out of a long winter sleep.

As I am a German, the current course of action reminds me of Christmas season in Europe. People either silently or in huge excitement are awaiting a special, high-spirited time, they are going crazy

“You want to have a look how !?!

Beautiful decorations, festoons of flowers, chains of lights in every imaginable colour, sales signs nearly everywhere … – Kerala, especially Kochi seems to wake up out of a long winter sleep.

As I am a German, the current course of action reminds me of Christmas season in Europe. People either silently or in huge excitement are awaiting a special, high-spirited time, they are going crazy with preparations over the Kerala state festival of ONAM.

With ten days of feasting, boat races, songs, dances and merriment late in August or early in September, the people of Kerala, the Malayalees, celebrate this harvest festival in honour of King Mahabali.

It took me a long time of questions, discussions with my colleagues and researches on the internet to come across the secret of Onam.

That’s what I got to know:

Once upon a time, the mythical king Mahabali ruled over a huge, beautiful green paradise today known as the Indian federal state, Kerala. It seemed that he has been a great reign who brought Kerala to its golden ages. As his raising popularity could not be tolerated by Gods any longer, they sent Lord Vishnu to earth to end his reign. But before being trampled down to the netherworld, Vishnu granted the king’s sole wish: To visit his land and people once every year.
So this annual visit of King Mahabali and therefore the remberance of the golden age of prosperity is celebrated as Onam every year.
The celebrations start on Atham day, 10 days before Onam, when the girls begin to create ‘Pookalam’ in the front courtyard, a decorative carpet of flowers, to welcome the spirit of King Mahabali. Boys play a supporting role and help in gathering flowers. In the following days, more flowers are added to that carpet so that it turns out to be of massive size on the final day.
At the 10th day of Onam, on Thiruvonam day, King Mahabali, like Santa Claus, is believed to visit every Malayalee home and meet his people. Houses are cleaned and decorated with flowers and traditional lamps. Every household prepares a great feast and the eldest member of each family presents clothes and a lot more presents to all the members of the family. As I found out, the significance of wearing new clothes on Onam is that one should clean his heart by getting rid of all bad thoughts and feelings.

Even Christmas in Europe is not only celebrated within the family, the excitement and joy is also spread at work. And so it is here, we will celebrate Onam in the office, with its traditional flower decoration, food and clothing. For us, as German Account Mangers it will be the first time to wear a traditional Kerala saree, and you can surely imagine how excited we are.