A video released by Kerala Tourism on its Facebook page displayed the culinary richness of the State, abuzz with the annual preparations for Onam. The 18-minute audiovisual treat explains the variety of delicacies of the multi-course Sadya.
The video premiere comes as part of an ongoing two-week-long virtual endeavour saluting the spirit of Onam. The run-up to the harvest festival is chiefly marked by ten days of laying of the flower carpet to welcome Mahabali.
3 million views
The Tourism Department’s August 22-September 2 ‘Onam Fest Kerala’ features a bouquet of heritage arts and celebratory rituals alongside new-age cultural programmes — all of it online. The viewership has been encouraging, with three million views till Friday. Of the events beamed so far, the Panchari Melam alone earned as many as one million views.
Coming up on Thiruvonam is a Kathakali show, followed by a live band performance and an Onam-theme film the subsequent days. This weekend will host Family Onam celebrations (Saturday) and Job Kurian’s music show (Sunday).
The Sadya banquet was up on social media on Thursday afternoon, with a row of people in ethnic attire sitting cross-legged on floor-mats and eating an array of dishes on banana leaves. The classical value of different types of curries, fried vegetables, pappadams, pickles, chutneys, and two courses of payasams came to the fore with the anchor explaining the order and manner of serving each dish, besides a brief on their ingredients and recipe.
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the pandemic might have muted the celebrations, but not the spirit of Onam as a festival of hope, harmony, and love.
“The government has made arrangements to celebrate the festival following COVID-19 protocols. There will not be celebrations in public places,” he added, greeting people.
The festival began on August 22 with a Panchari Melam featuring Chenda, drums, cymbals, horns, and pipes. This was followed by Kerala Natanam (August 23), Onam folk songs (August 24), Pulikkali (August 25), and the Onappottan folk character and Sadya (August 27). On August 28 evening is multi-instrumentalist Tao Issaro’s Onam songs.
Amid isolation, Onam “brings us the perfect way to go across borders and share joy and togetherness with friends and family all over the world,” Kerala Tourism Facebook page said.