By Vinod Raghavan
Muscat: Scores of expat devotees mostly Malayalees from Kerala, decked in traditional attire visited the Lord Shri Krishna temple in the Ruwi area of Muscat and Lord Shiva temple in old Muscat this morning to mark the Onam celebrations today.
Onam has its own uniqueness in Oman. The festivities continue with lots of cultural activities going on every weekend on Fridays, for around two months.
While it is a festival celebrated by the Malayalee community hailing from Kerala, cutting across all barriers of caste, creed and religion –Hindus, Muslims and Christians join the Onam celebrations by decorating their homes and surroundings with flowers and making special floral designed Pookalam in front of their houses.
Indian expats are the largest in numbers and make up around 20% of the Oman population. The approximate population of Indians in Oman as of 2023 is over 8 lakh and over four lakhs of them are from Kerala.
In various parts of the Sultanate of Oman, the Indian Social Club, which has had its presence in Oman since 1996 and has 30 linguistic wings from different parts of India, as well as shopping malls, commercial outfits and Indian schools organised the Pookalam competition and Payasam competition. (Payasam is a sweet dish made of milk, rice or vermicelli, sugar and dry fruits) and lots of cultural activities which will be going on every weekend on Fridays for around two months.
At the Lulu Hypermarket in Ruwi, the colourful Pookalam made mostly by women attracted shoppers. Many of the expatriates including Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Omanis, enjoyed the colourful floral art made by the team members comprising of Hindu, Muslim and Christian women from various parts of Kerala, said Lakshmi Kothaneth, a journalist and podcaster, who too hails from Kerala, but is grown up in Oman. She too like others decorated her house with Pookalam, adding, “I enjoyed Onam festivals especially getting fresh flowers from the neighbourhood and rest buying from the shops to decorate my house. She also likes to treat her friends especially non-Keralites the Sadya (traditional lunch served on banana plantan with a variety of vegetables, rice, payasam, and side dishes).
At the Malayalam wing of the Indian Social Club, the Pookalam competition was held and prominent judges – Model-turned-Actor Piya Pawani, Sunil, an Arts teacher with a school, and this writer, had a tough time announcing the best three.
But the festivities have just begun! Palakkad Friends will organise a dance and musical event on September 1, 2023, an event managed by Eyestone.
The Kerala wing affiliated to the parent body, the Indian Social Club, will host a cultural event and a get-together on September 8-9, 2023 at the Al Falaj Hotel in Ruwi, which has a huge auditorium with a seating capacity of 1000 persons. The next week it is being hosted by the Nair Service Society (NSS).
While the expats from Haripad taluka in Alappuzha district of Kerala are organizing a musical event – ‘Mizhiv 2023’ on September 28 at Al Falaj Hotel in Ruwi and will be felicitating their Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly Ramesh Chennithala, said Kailash Nair, President of Haripad Pravasi Association.
Piya Pawani, originally hailing from Palakkad in Kerala, along with her little daughter Kiyara were decked in traditional attire and had Lord Krishna’s darshan.
At the Indian School in Ghobra, over 200 Pookalams were displayed by the school students and their parents.
Purshottam Kanji Money Exchange had a gala celebration as usual with a sumptuous lunch with the staff who were attired in traditional Mundu and the womenfolk adorning Kerala saree with golden border depicting the richness of the ‘God’s Own Country’.
At the Platinum Hotel in Al Khuwair, the General Manager, Shyam Kuttanery, treated his staff to a traditional lunch (Sadya) on the occasion today.
Hotels and Restaurants made brisk business with most bachelors getting special lunches from these outlets and having a good get-together over a sumptuous lunch with traditional songs and dance at their accommodations, said Adarsh Tharayil, who works in Platinum Hotel.
*Senior journalist
