Ponnonam 2009

[Today is Chithira- the second day of Onam]
"Onam" is something I am so passionate about.. May be I became so passionate after I moved out of Kerala... I would never have missed the pookkalam when I was in Kerala inspite of all the exams that come at the same time.. I think its the same with almost every child growing up there.. But once I moved to Bangalore for my job, I started reaching home only on the day before Thiruonam or so and hence all the joys on Onam was restricted to Onakkodi and Onasadhya.. But now my entire family in Bangalore, I am once more passionate about Onam..especially the pookalam.. With no flowers available to pluck and no time to buy the flowers daily, I still make it happen with the flower purchases before Atham from the local markets and regular replenishments will support from Amma, Anurag and my maid.. Usually its less flowers from Atham to Uthradam and a grand one for Thiruonam..

This year I have gone an extra mile.. We went to Hosakote flower market on the day before Atham and made a real bulk purchase of flowers.. We prepared most of it so that mornings there is no time spend in doing that...The flowers, looks like will last us till Thiruonam.. The fridge is overflowing with flowers that my mother complains that there is no place for anything else.. I have made decent pookalams for the first two days.. Hope to keep it up for the rest of the days...[Photos on orkut]

And something I have been missing was the "Thrikkakarappan".. This year I have got that also.. That reminds me of the Onams I used to have at my mother's ancestral home.. We used to decorate the Thrikkakarappan on the previous days with all mallika poo and aarumaasa poo and smeared with rice paste.. We used to go insearch of the "thumbakkudam".. the small plant found commonly bearing a small white flower... i might not be able to find all this in Bangalore.. But still I can always do it the best way possible here..

And a long way to go for the Onam.. Inchikari and naranga achar is getting prepared early on.. Need to do "kaaya varukkal" and "sharkara upperi".. And the yummy payasams, onakkodis, the sadhya all are left to do.. looks like the coming weekend is going to be hectic..

But the best part of all this is that my son is learning what is Onam.. Currently to him it is synonymous to pookkalam and payasam.. he is all ready to help me with the pookkalam in the morning.. gets up early to help me with pookkalam and asks for the payasam when we put the pookkalam.. now he is waiting for Sept 2.. he has learnt that Sept 2 is the Onam day when he will get payasam and sadhya on leaf..