Page 15 - Keralite Magazine _2020

KERALITE  APRIL 20 20 35

CELEBRITY

ARTICLE

SASI THAROOR

One of the best things about being a Malayalee is
the annual celebration of the festival of Onam, the
day when a grateful Kerala, decked in their colourful
kasavu silk saris and mundus, pays a glorious
tribute to the memory of the legendary king
Mahabali, who gave his all for his subjects, an
occasion commiserated with joy, compassion,
gift-giving and solidarity, and embodies Kerala's
cultural unity and pluralism.

At the same time, an equably remarkable aspect of
this festival is the fact that it has, in contemporary
times, evolved into a global celebration, one that
transcends the immediate geographical boundaries
of Kerala or India for that matter. One of the many
wonderful things about being a Malayalee is that no
matter which part of the world I found myself in, I
was inevitably surrounded by other Keralites and
whether it was a potluck lunch in a room at the UN
HQ in New York or celebrations organised by
Malayalee UN o cials in Vienna or with my own
family in Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi or London, the
strong sense of identity and pride, that is a
characteristic trait of our community, ensured that
the festivities were never missed, irrespective of the
ever present and vast geographical divide.

It is a celebration quite unlike any other and one
that has certainly become a global phenomenon
(as my experiences around the world have shown
me). But unlike any of its contemporaries such as Id,
Christmas or Diwali, it is a celebration that has no
explicitly religious connotations and is celebrated