Dubai: A selfie with mythical demon king Maveli at their neighbourhood was a new experience for Malayalee children who gathered for an Onam celebration at a Dubai apartment on Saturday.
For Malayalees, celebrating their harvest festival Onam is incomplete without remembering Mahabali or Maveli, whose homecoming is marked by the festival. The Malayalam-speaking people of South Indian state of Kerala celebrate the 10-day festival in the month of Chingam in Malayalam calendar which falls in August or September.
As per the legend, the 10th and the most important day of the festival — known as Thiruvonam, which falls on September 4 — marks the visit of King Mahabali or Maveli to his subjects.
- Kishor Babu | Dubai resident
Even though they are thousands of miles away from their hometown, Keralite expats in the UAE also welcome Maveli at Onam celebrations organised by community groups, associations and event management companies mainly during the weekends closer to the festival.
There are men who regularly dress up as Maveli at Onam celebrations held at auditoriums, halls and other large venues here. But, welcoming Maveli at an Onam celebration in an apartment was an entirely different experience that a group of Malayalees living in Al Khail Gate community had on Saturday.
Kishor Babu, a longtime Dubai resident, wore the costume of Maveli to add the royal touch to the Onam celebrations at his brother Dinesh Babu’s apartment.
“Usually, Maveli is seen only at big gatherings here,” said Kishor, who has been acting as Maveli at various events for the past five years.
“Traditionally, the belief is that Maveli visits each home of his subjects. This time we wanted to give that experience for the children at our celebration.”
Eight families of different faiths gathered at the apartment for the celebration. The youngsters welcomed Maveli with a traditional chenda melam (percussion drumming) and poothaalam (an offering of flowers and lamp). Seated next to a large pookkalam (floral design arranged for Onam), Maveli blessed those present at the function.
“Onam is a festival celebrated by people of all religions in Kerala. Maveli is the symbol of equality and oneness. Taking part in such celebrations will help nurture those values in our children,” said Basheer K.A, a Muslim neighbour whose family actively took part in the celebration.
An elaborate Onasadhya — a vegetarian feast prepared by the members of the families present and served on banana leaf — and Thiruvaathirakkali, a traditional dance form presented by the women in ethnic Kerala saree, followed.
“These are essential elements of our Onam celebrations. We will be taking our children for a bigger celebration of our community’s group after all our neighbours who are on vacation return by later this month,” said Rajeev Pillai.
He said Akgma Social Club — the community group of Malayalees living in Al Khail Gate, which is licensed by the Community Development Authority of Dubai — will hold its grand Onam celebration on September 22. Named ‘Onavirunnu,’ the event will feature various cultural programmes by the members and a special show by popular singer sisters Amrutha and Abhirami Suresh.
The story of Mahabali
Mahabali or Maveli was a benevolent Asura or demon king who once ruled a kingdom which now is Kerala, according to the Hindu mythology. The legend says the gods in heaven were jealous of the growing strength of Maveli as his subjects were treated equally and had no poverty. The Hindu deity Vishnu, upon the insistence of other deities, comes to Maveli dressed as a Brahmin boy named Vamana and asks for a boon of land, measured by three footsteps. The king agrees and upon hearing this, Vamana grew in size and stood so tall that he towered over all the realms.
He placed his first foot step and measured all of earth and the underworld. His second foot step covered the heavens. Seeing that Vamana was actually Lord Vishnu, and that he did not have anywhere to keep his foot the third time, Maveli knelt down and requested Vamana to place the last step on his head. Vamana (Vishnu) did so, pushing Maveli down into the netherworld.
Moved by Maveli’s righteousness and devotion, Vishnu granted him rule over the underworld for all time to come and allowed Maveli to meet his subjects once a year, which is believed to be during Onam.
