Having been brought up in Abu Dhabi, celebrating Onam at my grandma’s place in Kerala was a very memorable experience for me. I was in school then, and we travelled to our native place Ranny, near Sabarimala, in Kerala, to celebrate the festival.
Our house is situated on the banks of Pampa River and it’s a beautiful hilly region. My first and second cousins and my relatives had gathered there that year. We enjoyed a lot and celebrated for three days. And we had a lavish, 26 dish Onam sadya, apart from colorful kolams, new attires and lovely gifts. As a group, we all visited the temple in the evening. It was the happiest time I ever had in my life.
It’s my most special Onam till date and I miss it as well. I feel Onam, as a festival, has become more commercial in modern days. There are special lunches and similar activities that many establishments offer — it may be good for those away from home, as many, due to work commitments, may not be able to go home. But there’s no true spirit of people coming together. So, I feel it is more of a marketing technique.
After becoming an actress, the festival has become totally different. Because of star value, a lot of people call me as their guest during Onam and present expensive gifts like crystal and other showpieces. Even this year, there were events at Bengaluru and Chennai. But, I prefer to go to my mom’s native Adoor and spend quality time there with my family!
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