It's Onam time for Dubai's Keralites

Celebrating the homecoming of the legendary king, Mahabali, the Kerala harvest festival Onam is back with all the pomp and glitter this year.

Falling after the Holy month of Ramadan this year, unlike last couple of years, the Kerala Onam Festival to be held between September 6 and 9 is expected to brighter and bigger, replete with traditional food, art, cultural events and not to forget thousands of Keralites.

“Onam is the busiest periods for the South Indian community, especially Keralites in the Middle East. The Kerala Onam Festival will have forty stalls showcasing the traditional food, art and ware.

There will be a special Onam Market along with entertainment events, orchestra, competitions, radio programmes. Onam special movies and other events for the community,” said Habib Rahman, Managing Director, Benchmark, organizers of Kerala Onam Fest 2011.

Onam is celebrated with great fervor in Kerala and is an annual carnival that lasts for ten days, with official holiday in the
southern Indian state.

The three-day carnival that is planned for Dubai will fall on weekend as most of the community works on weekdays and can’t afford to celebrate.

The main venue of the festival Al Naser Leisureland is already fully booked and hotels and restaurants catering to the community are also receiving advance booking requests.

Around 1000 different associations from different parts of Kerala would be participating in the Festival, offering a variety of cultural
activities and feasts.

“This year Onam celebrations in the UAE will be more colourful because it comes after the Ramadan fasting period. Last couple of years, the community could not celebrate much because Onam coincided with Ramadan,” he said, adding that for hundreds of Indian community associations, the celebrations will continue for a few months.

Some shopping malls, hotels and restaurants catering to the South Indian community are also getting ready for the Onam season, by announcing special promotions, preparing special meals and flying in specialized chefs who make Onam dishes.

Kerala Kitchen, a busy Indian restaurant in Karma, is currently running a Kerala Food Festival, serving special dishes from each of the fourteen districts of Kerala. “Each day we are providing special food from one district of Kerala. Onam is approaching and we are getting ready for the busiest season of the year.

Like most of the South Indian restaurants, we will have special Onam menu,” said Bicy Philph, Managing Director, Kerala Kitchen.

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