Onam and Community
It is yet another Onam, and the beauty and meaning of this festival improves like fine wine, or shall i say like payasam the day after the main Sadhya :D (if you know you know). I have so many lovely memories of Onam, but this year was a bit more special, with my parents being in Vancouver celebrating with me — a rare occurrence for an immigrant in a far away country. I also got to celebrate the festivities with a handful of close friends, which added to the joy. I observed a few things about Onam this year that I haven't before.
The MVP of Onam is of course the sadhya. As you might know, a sadhya is served on a banana leaf. There are scientific and Ayurvedic reasons behind why we specifically use a banana leaf. I also just really like how beautiful everything looks on a banana leaf and that unique aroma and flavor it adds to all the dishes.
Since we are in Canada and plaintain is not a common plant around, it is quite tough to get a sadhya on banana leaf. For context, I haven’t had sadhya on a banana leaf, in the last seven years I’ve been here! But with parents around and some friends experiencing sadhya for the first time, I wished we could somehow find some banana leaves. We looked around at many stores, and asked around for prices. Finally, we found a store selling plantain leaves, $3 per leaf! Super expensive, considering we don’t eat the leaf itself (duh)! We lost hope and thought we might have to settle for paper leaf, which are usually cheaper. They are fine, but surely doesnt add the magic the leaf does, also it is something that’s fake, afterall.
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So as the story goes, a Gujarati friend of mine happened to be walking by her pottery studio one day, and saw a peculiar looking plant with giant leaves :D she noticed how the leaves were moving around in the wind. Lo and behold, the wild plant she noticed was a plantain, of which the leaf we use for sadhya! Since she is not from Kerala, she has never known what a banana leaf is or how the plant looks like. Anyway, through some prayers, random stroke of luck, and a determined friend, we all got to have sadhya on banana leaf! Historic moment for my Canadian life :D
The sadhya itself was a potluck, with each of my friends making an item and Amma a few other dishes. We had one of the best sadhyas, just because everything was made with love at home — you know how that goes :)
We all ate to our hearts/stomachs content, licked the leaf and fingers. We played some games together, and shared memories of many festivals we have celebrated in the past. Through all that, I couldn’t help but think — the whole idea of Onam, is nothing but coming together of differences, and making a grand sadhya. The spicy achars, the crispy pappadam, the crunchy sharakkara varatti, the soft warm rice, slightly cold moru curry, the scattered thorans in different colors and textures, the kootu curry that brings in the chewiness, and the list goes on, until the payasams too that come in much variety — one with an earthy jaggery and another with pure sweetness. What a great combination of diverse flavours, joining together to create a symphony like no other. Just like the communities we live in. Everyone with their varied upbringings, beliefs, education, interests, worldviews, color, shape, size — creating something so beautiful, just by coming together and sharing their uniqueness. The sadhya is the best meal ever because it is a coming together of all flavors, colors, textures, and aromas on one platter.
Apart from the Sadhya, one of the most beautiful traditions associated with Onam is the making of pookalam, the colourful floral designs created at the entrance of homes with all sorts of flowers/leaves. No pookalam is complete with one or two flowers, it only comes together when a few colors come together to create vibrancy and contrast.
Communities thrive in the same way. When people from different walks of life come together, they contribute unique perspectives and strengths that make the whole group stronger.
What a beautiful festival, with every ritual thoughtfully reflecting and reinforcing its core message. I love Onam because it is a celebration where tradition and meaning come together in perfect harmony.
