Onam celebrations in Attingal, as in other parts of Kerala, are continuously evolving. While pookkalams and traditional feast still manage to retain their charm, some other modes of celebrations have faded into oblivion. But it's refreshing to find new games and avenues of mirth-making coming along. Innovation is the mother of all celebrations – that is what some teenagers in a local arts and sports club in a village near Attingal trying to say. This is an overview of onam celebrations held in Mevarkal, a village of paddy fields and temples, near Attingal.
The festivities started in the afternoon. Morning had gone well with Atha Pookkalams, an idli-sambar breakfast, and a sumptuous meal. The pookkalams were eye-catching. Here are some of the samples:
The first action-packed event was what is now come to known aquatic pillow fighting – or pillow fighting in a temple pond. It was held last year too. It was exciting stuff, laced with occasional hilarious moments. The young lads showed great spirit. Sadly, the final of the event witnessed some acrimony. But it ended well with both the contestants accepting the judges' verdict. Here are a few photos and videos of the event.
The temple pond was also the venue for the next item. The organizers clumsily titled it as 'water and rope'. A long rope was put across the pond – one end of the rope was tied on the window of a small room near the pond that once housed a now-defunct pump-set and the other side of the rope was tied in a tree on the opposite bank of the pond. The contestants had to cross the pond and come back holding on to the rope. It was a bit like mountain climbing. None of the contestants completed the two-way journey. The guy who covered the longest distance was declared the winner. Some pics and videos.
Next item was Vadam Vali or tug of war, between the eternal enemies of Onam celebrations: the married and the unmarried. The unmarried guys easily outnumbered the married men. At one stage, the married men even struggled to fill up all the team vacancies. But they somehow found enough people to constitute a team. And guess what, they won easily. In boxing parlance, it was a knock-out. It was clear that the married men know the nuances of tug of war – familial or otherwise.
The final item of the day was Uriyadi. It is usually held during Sreekrishna jayanthi. But here it was borrowed for Onam festivities. The sun had almost set when the event began. But spectators remained there till the end. We managed to get some photos and videos of the item in the fading daylight.
There was no Mulayil Kayattam (Climbing on Bamboo Pole) this time around. So we rushed to another place where we learned it was being held. But when we reached there the event had almost finished. It was impossible to take any worthwhile photos or videos in the darkness. Hopefully we can witness it tomorrow, the third day of Onam, or the next year in Attingal or somewhere nearby.
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