Thiruvananthapuram: In keeping with the changes wrought by technology and changing social trends, the Onam festivities in Kerala took on a digital flavour this year, and many families opted to dine out rather than cook the traditional Onam meal at home.
Social media seemed to be the biggest platform for Onam celebrations for Keralites as those at home and millions of expatriates exchanged greetings and posted Onam-related videos on social media.
Keeping with the Kerala penchant for topicality, one video brought to focus the hot topic of the day in the state, namely stray dogs. The video showed Mahabali — the mythical ruler of the state whose glorious rein is celebrated through the festival — being chased by a group of stray dogs. The video ends with Mahabali atop a tree, waving his greetings to his people as the dogs stand menacingly below.
The state government’s decision to cull stray dogs had drawn sharp criticism from within and outside the state, with groups of animal lovers in different parts of the country even organising rallies against the decision and exhorting tourists to boycott Kerala.
Meanwhile, in a trend that seems to be growing each year, many families in the state decided to eat their Onam sadya (elaborate traditional meal) at restaurants, instead of cooking at home.
For some families, the decision is because there are too few at home to eat the meal and, therefore, cooking so many dishes is not worth the effort. For others, it is a matter of convenience.
Not everyone is in agreement with the trend, however. “I would much rather have it at home, but, this year, it is a family decision to dine out for the Onam lunch,” says Treasa George, a medical student in Thrissur, who ate her sadya at a restaurant on Friday.
The week leading to Onam had a marked fall in the value of the rupee, making expatriate earnings swell in terms of local currency. That was a windfall for families in Kerala that have expatriate members.
Against that backdrop, the state government’s financial position was in stark contrast to the prosperity that the Onam season marks. The government has been hard pressed to make salaries, interest, and pension payments, and different classes of pensioners have to wait until after Onam to get their pension dues.
