UAE's Onam party to continue until October

The Keralite community in the UAE is in a festive mood. Every weekend there is a new Onam feast or a number of Onam related cultural events.

Onam, a traditional harvest festival in Kerala, was celebrated in India a month ago, but the Indian community in the UAE were unable to celebrate the occasion in style as it occurred during the holy month of Ramadan, when a focus on prayer keeps events quiet.

The last two Fridays saw Onam events at different locations, with Al Nasr Leisureland being the most sought-after event.

Festivities are expected to continue for the next three or four weeks as organisations wait for the right venue, chief guests and sponsors. Most of these events draw Sanjay Verma, Consul General of India, MK Lokesh, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE or other senior consulate officials.

“We have been celebrating Onam every year in style. It is an annual occasion for the members to enjoy Onam, which is an integral part of Kerala culture.  We had a major Onam feast for about 5000 people,” said C R G Nair, President,  United Malayali Association (UMA), an umbrella association of 8 community organisatiosn representing various sections of the Keralite community.

Associations like Priyadarshini Congress,  Dubai Art Lovers Association, Bhavan Arts Society join hands for the Lulu-Uma Onam festival. Chefs and cooks are specially flown in from Kerala to prepare the multiple-course Onam feast or “sadhya” in traditional style.

And despite worries about the recession and the downturn in business, companies are happy to sponsor such events and rub shoulders with the film stars and celebrities who attend. Others are happy to turn up simply for the networking. Major sponsors include companies like Lulu Supermarkets and Hypermarket chains or Confident Group, a construction company, which builds houses and villas for the NRIs.

Recent celebrations include events organised by the All Kerala Colleges Alumni Forum, which represents alumni of about 50 colleges in Kerala, and another, organised by the Federation of College Alumnis of Kerala. These two alumni groups compete with each other to engage in social and community activities like providing food to labour camps, setting up homes for the disadvantaged in India and helping poor students from member colleges.

“There is a saying in Kerala that even if you sell every asset in your custody, Onam should be celebrated in great style,” said Machingal Radhakrishnan, President  AKCAF. The group also served a traditional “Onasadhya” to 1001 labourers in Dubai’s Sonapur area.

The Indian Association Ajman also celebrated Onam with a feast for several thousand Indians in the northern Emirates.

O Y Ahmed Khan, President, Indian Association Ajman said he is keen to raise fund for a new club complex on a new plot of land donated by the Ajman ruler to the community club. “It is a Dh20 million project and we need to raise money for the new building. Several companies have sponsored the event,” he said. The event also featured a show by playback singer Vidu Pratap.

What is Onam?

Onam is the largest festival in the Indian state of Kerala. It falls during the first month of the Malayalam calendar which is Chingam (August–September) and marks the homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali. The festival lasts for ten days and is linked to many elements of Kerala's culture and tradition. Intricate flower carpets, elaborate banquet lunch, snake boat races, Puli Kali, and the kaikottikkali dance all play a part in the festival.

True to the spirit of Onam, many dressed as Mahabali parade through the festival venue.

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