Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, greeted the people of the State on the festive occasion of Onam. “I convey my heartiest Onam greetings to the people of the State and other Keralites all over the world,” Khan said in an official statement on August 28.
“The celebration of Onam calls to mind the cherished legacy of a life of equality, oneness and affluence and brightens every home with the ethereal joy of festivity. Let us join hands to spread the melody, charm and sparkle of Onam across the globe as Kerala’s unique message of love, equality and harmony,” added the statement.
Earlier, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on August 27 inaugurated the Kerala Tourism’s Onam cultural festival in Thiruvananthapuram district. The Chief Minister performed the State-level inauguration of the cultural festival organized by the tourism department at Nishagandhi Auditorium in the state capital on August.
The 10-day Onam celebrations in Kerala started with the Atham celebrations on August 20. It is a festival that honours King Mahabali and Vamana.
To welcome Mahabali, people start constructing floral carpets (Pookkalam) in front of their homes and institutions. Celebrations of many kinds begin today in schools, universities, offices, and other locations.
During the Onam festival, people usually wear traditional kasavu saris and mundu (dhoti). It is a time when family members and friends gather and exchange gifts like new dresses.
Unique food items are prepared at home and distributed to others at the festival. One of the highlights of the Onam celebrations is the preparation of Onasadya, a special vegetarian feast.
Onam is celebrated in the Chingam month, which marks the beginning of the Malayalam calendar and is a harvest celebration.
(with inputs from ANI)
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