Onam is a state festival of
Kerala. Every Keralite across the globe celebrates Onam in great spirit and zealous
enthusiasm. Onam is an occasion celebrated in honour of Mahabali the erstwhile king of Kerala. He was
an asura king but very just and honest. Power and politics are not limited to
human being and also find place among Gods…. It so happened that the Gods
became jealous of King Mahabali and approachede lord Vishnu asking him for
help… which is how Lord Vishnu assumed his fifit avatar
from among his ten called the Vamana.. Vamana avatar was that of a tiny man. Having assumed the
guise, Vamaa then goes to King Mahabali in his priestly form and asks for three
measures of his land, each to be measured by a step he would take. The
benevolent king being as good as he is gives the right to the little Vamana to
take the three steps. He takes his first step and covers the earth and with the
second he covers the sky and for the third he asked the king where and the king
bows down and shows his head. Vamana puts his feet on the king and pushes him
into the earth. Just before pushing him in he gives his a boon to come and meet
his people once every year. We Keralites celebrate Onam in memory of this great
king.
Onam is a festival of harvest as
well and new clothes don the occasion during which the elders give gifts and
money to the younger ones and vice versa.
I was home for Onam this year. My
sister delivered a baby boy and I am acting the big uncle very well. There was
this old lady, named Shanthamma, who was good at the postnatal care.. A very chirpy
and vibrant lady, laughing always - one
would be much energized on seeing her. But tke a look at her household and it
wouldn’t take long to realize that her life was in misery. This poor 65 year
old lady needs to earn to feed her daughter, son-in-law and 2 children. As if
that wasn’t aleady enough, she is ill treated.
So this Onam we decided to give
her some extra money so that she could have some nice food with it. My mom and
sister gave her some money. I felt that it was a great gesture to give her that
extra bit for all the help she was for
my little nephew and sister. Deciding impromptu, I went down with some money to
give her… when she walked upto me and told me “Aviii (she calls me Avi instead
of Naveen) ninakku enikku ithraye tharaaan pattooo….” Which means “I can only
afford to give you this token for Onam...” She squeezed a 100 rupees note into
my hand.. God it was such a touching moment… I could have cried. A poor lady
like her wanted me to be happy and she was forgoing her happiness only for me which
I couldn’t imagine.
Yet my dear friend you should have
seen how happy she was… we have all the luxuries of life and do we ever think about
another person..? I felt ashamed of myself.. I was trying to add and subtract in
my mind of what to give her but she was far beyond in her thoughts.
