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Vashi2Panvel.Com: Navi Mumbai: September 5: Onam, the festival of colours, flowers, peace, love, light, victory, goodness... This is one festival, which is above religion, custom, tradition and rigid beliefs. It binds people of various religions from Kerela who eagerly wait for their goodwill god Mahabali to come to earth and shower his blessings upon them. The day signifies victory of good over evil, peace over destruction and right over wrong. There are certain traditions, which are particularly associated with a festival like Diyas with Diwali, the Christmas tree with Xmas, modaks with Ganesh Chaturthi. Likewise, “Floral Rangoli” is one of the main customs, which has to be compulsorily made in every Kerelite home on Onam day. V2P visited some Kerelites in Navi Mumbai to see their spectacular Rangolis that were adorned with diyas…

The flowers represent the purity and goodness associated with life. “The floral rangoli is made to please our lord Mahabali so when he returns to earth on his birthday, which is celebrated as Onam, he is pleased by the decorations and he enters our house,” elucidates Mrs.Vijayalakshmi Kammili, Nerul Sector-19 resident who is also a member of the Kerala association here. “The rangoli along with lighted diyas are one of the main attractions to welcome the king,” she adds. “The floral arrangement is usually different for every year as the lord has to be attracted in a unique way,” she explicates.

The floral rangoli is made mostly by kids of the house who wake up early in the morning and do the rangoli decorations after taking a bath. “ This has to be the first thing in the morning and as the ladies of the house are busy preparing the offerings for the lord the kids indulge in this work taking interest by trying out various designs and patterns,” says Kala Tambi, who stays in Army Colony, Nerul. “The best part of this festival is that it is believed that the Lord can come in any form and so it is compulsory that no visitor leaves the house without having anything. We are supposed to offer something to everyone who enters the house today,” she adds.

As the King was fond of flowers, they are traditionally used to welcome the King. On asking if the celebration of Onam any different in Navi Mumbai than in their hometown the Kerelites become really emotional as they go back the memory lane. “In Kerela, we used to get 10-days off in schools and colleges as the festival is celebrated for 10 days there. It is believed that the Lord can come anytime in these 10 days, the floral rangoli, which is made just on the day of Onam here is made on all the 10 days with different designs,” says Meera Mukundan, a Mass Media graduate and Nerul resident. “When we were in Kerela we had to go to pluck flowers early in the morning and then return to make rangoli which has to be completed before 7:30. The festival was celebrated by everyone in the village as Mahabali was loved and prayed by everyone in Kerela,” she adds.

Smriti Mishra