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Seasonal Newsletter from Intersight August-September 2010Seasonal Newsletter from Intersight August-September 2010

For private circulation only.

FESTIVAL of plentyseason of BLOOMS.FESTIVAL of plentyseason of BLOOMS.

Enter Kerala. Experience the bliss.Kerala is a Land of plenty, green and verdant as it has always

been, and generous to the Hilt. Onam is just the perfect occasion

to celebrate that very spirit of generosity, love and joy. As Kerala's

most popular and colourful festival, Onam is truly the perfect

occasion to take in the land's irresistible charm. It's an explosion

of colours that stretch from fl owers to festivities, from folk music

to fi ne pageantries; an enchanting fi esta that brings in the

nostalgic memories of a sparkling era of happiness and harmony.

To celebrate this festival in style, Intersight has set up a range of

tour packages that refl ect the true luster of Onam. Mesmerizing

trips to outstanding destinations, participating in colourful

celebrations and the unique-most festivities of “God’s own

Country”, and memories that will linger on many, many months

after the festivities themselves, until the next season and reason

the celebrate. Discover the splendor of Onam in Kerala with

Intersight,

In 2010, the Onam Festival commences on Aug 14 and lasts till

Aug 25. Enjoy!

JOHNY ABRAHAM

MD, Intersight

Intersight Seasonal Newsletter Aug.-Sept. 2010

32

Oneness Everywhere…Fun, fl owers, fl ow and frolic…Onam is basically a celebration of prosperity, joy, and goodness. And

it is the only celebration in the land that knows no differences; man,

woman, or child, rich or poor, old or young, whatever your faiths, you

still have fun at Onam. Kids, young lads, and lasses too, fi nd this a

time for fun and frolic, games, swings, decoration of fl ower carpets,

time for dancing and singing, or merely enjoying the festive spirit

around. These ten days are an ode to a great King, whose values we

still cherish with fondness and reverence.

Once Upon a Time, Long, Long Ago…The legend of a beloved, benevolent Ruler Lives on… Mahabali's rule is considered the golden era of Kerala. The following song is often sung over Onam - (Translation)

When Maveli, our King, ruled the land,

All the people had equality.

And people were joyful and merry;

They were all free from harm.

There was neither anxiety nor sickness,

Death of the children was never even heard of,

There were no lies,

There was neither theft nor deceit,

And no one was false in speech either.

Measures and weights were right;

No one cheated or wronged his neighbor.

When Maveli, our King, ruled the land,

All the people formed one casteless race.

Onam


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Mahabali was the grandson of Prahlad.

Prahlad, despite being an Asura, had

great faith in Vishnu. Mahabali learned

the love and devotion of Vishnu from Prahlad's lap

as a child. Eventually, he became the ruler of all the

three worlds having defeated the Devas. To please the

Gods, Mahabali performed a sacrifi cial rite called the

Aswamedha Yagam on the banks of Narmada River.

He also declared that he would give anything that

anyone sought from him during this Yagam.

Taking advantage of the Yagam and Mahabali's

declaration, Vamana (Mahavishu disguised as a

Brahmin) came to the Yaga-shala. As he approached

them, the sages assembled there perceived the

extraordinary effulgence form of the young lad.

Mahabali went forth to receive the Brahmin boy with

all traditional honours and gave him an eminent seat

befi tting the status of a holy person. With the usual

courtesy given to the people who come to ask for

help, Mahabali told him that it was his good fortune

that Vamana had chosen to honour him with his

presence. Whatever Vamana desired, Mahabali was

ready to fulfi ll. Vamana smiled and said: "You need

not give me anything great. It is enough if you give

me that extend of land covered by three footsteps of

mine".

On hearing this, Mahabali's preceptor Shukracharya,

who had visions of the future, told Mahabali that the

The legend…

one who had come to take alms from him was not

an ordinary Brahmin but Lord Vishnu Himself having

assumed this form. He advised Mahabali not to

promise the lad anything. But Mahabali was a king

who would never go back on his word.

He asked Vamana to measure the desired three feet

of land. Then, Vamana grew in size until he towered

above the heavens. With one footstep, he measured

all of the earth. With the second, he claimed all of

heaven. There was still one foot of territory that

Mahabali owed him. Mahabali requested Vamana to

place the fi nal step on his head as the third step of

land, for he had no other left. Vamana did so and in

doing so, pushed him down to Patala, the netherworld.

As a boon, Mahabali was granted permission to visit

his subjects once a year. Thus, Keralites celebrate the

Onam festival to commemorate the memory of the

With one footstep, he measured all of the earth. With the second, he claimed all of

heaven. There was still one foot of territory that Mahabali owed him. Mahabali

requested Vamana to place the fi nal step on his head as the third step of land,

for he had no other left.

Get Gorgeous!Dressing up for Onam...

The traditional attires for men and boys

nowadays are shirt and Dhothi, A white

sarong like spun cotton cloth, while women

adorn themselves in Veshthi Mundu (Similar to

men’s Dhothi), a Neriathu, wrapped across the

waist and chest and draped over the shoulders

like a saree, and a Blouse. Girls wear a skirt and

blouse called Pavada or Davani which is a fl imsier

version of the Neriathu. During Onam, the feast

and festive mood of the people, dressed in their

best, is considered reminiscent of the prosperous

and truthful life of the subjects during Mahabali's

fl awless reign. People wear new clothes (Vastra)

during Onam. The 'Vastra' also stands for the

heart. Thus, the signifi cance of wearing new

clothes is about making the heart new by

removing all bad thoughts and feelings. People

forgetting their sectarian outlooks, join together

to welcome the auspicious 'Thiruvonam' day.

4

Intersight Seasonal Newsletter Aug.-Sept. 2010 Intersight Seasonal Newsletter Aug.-Sept. 2010

Highly acclaimed locations and experiencesWide network of branches across India

Great King Mahabali who would keep his promise to

visit. Mahabali fulfi lled his name as the great martyr

for the sake of Truth ‘Satya’. The name ‘Mahabali’ itself

means ‘Great Sacrifi ce’.

It is believed that Mahabali became the greatest

earthly devotee of Vishnu by sacrifi cing his kingdom

to him. Sura means good people and Asura means

bad people. According to Hinduism, Sura will become

Asura by doing bad deeds and Asura can become

Sura by doing good deeds. Mahabali, being an Asura,

wanted to become Sura. For that, he has done all the

good things to his people. To test Mahabali's altruism

and unselfi shness, the Mahavishu has taken the form

Vamana and had sent him to Patala, which Mahabali

had accepted gracefully. Thus, Mahabali become

a Sura or God and Onam symbolizes the unity of

mankind.

6

Onam is the only festivity in Kerala when the traditional ‘plantain leaf dining’ is an

elaborate affair with the mandatory servings of dishes like: Pickles (Lemon, Mango

and Ginger) and Puliyinchi (a tamarind-ginger sauce).

Pappadam, Plantain Chips, Thoran or vegetable sauted with coconut gratings, Aviyal, Olan (or

Potato Stew) Kalan sweet peas and bean seed curried with coconut grates, Elissery (or Koottu

Curry), Kichady (sour) or Curd with salt and sometimes pepper, Pachady (Sweet), Rice as the staple

food, Paruppu Curry, doused with ghee and a pinch of salt.

Sambar-the main festive additive to fl avour Rice, Rasam, as a digestive and medicinal potion, Pulissery (Moru

Curry) which is spiced buttermilk, Payasam (Dessert) which is the king of all foods according to Keralites. Each

festivity in Kerala has a prescribed format of the courses and dishes to be included in the Menu. Only Onam has

the most elaborate menu, as Onam is considered to be the festival of generosity.

Families eagerly wait for this occasion, to contentedly relish the exceptional ‘Onam Sadya’. Most tourists who come over

to Kerala during the Onam season nurture a special ambition in their minds; to enjoy the palatable vegetarian cuisine of

‘God’s own country’. Hailed as one of the best cuisine in the world, the Kerala culinary delights are globally renowned for their

nutritious value and mouth-watering taste. Served in plantain leaves in the traditional way is what makes the ‘Onam feast’ an

unforgettable part of this illustrious festival.

The Onam Sadyaa Scrumptious 18 course Delicacy

7

EAT YOUR WAY INTO THE HEART OF CELEBRATIONS!

EAT YOUR WAY INTO THE HEART OF CELEBRATIONS!

A CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA UNVEILED…ONAM HIGHLIGHTS FOR ONE AND FOR ALL…

There is a tradition to play games, collectively called the Onakali. Men go in for rigorous sports

like Talappanthukali (played with a ball), Ambeyyal (Archery), Kutukutu and combats called

Kayyankali and Attakalam. Women indulge in cultural activities. They make intricately designed

fl ower mats called, Pookalam in the front courtyard of the houses to welcome King Mahabali.

Kaikotti kali and Thumbi Thullal are two graceful dances performed by women on Onam. Folk

performances like Kummatti kali and Pulikali add to the zest of celebrations. Onappottan, in

traditional costume, is a custom in northern parts of Kerala. Onappottan visists houses during

the Onam and gives blessings. Off late onappottan has become a rare sight, confi ned to villages.

Onam comes in the month of ‘Chingam’ which is the fi rst month according to the Malayalam

Calendar. People put fl ower mats in front of their houses, to welcome King Mahabali. There will be

competition for the laying of fl ower mats; Keralites all over the world will be celebrating this ten

days with pomp and gaiety. They wear new dresses, visit as many temples as they can, perform

dances like Thiruvadhira kali, Thumbi Tullal etc. The most important thing is the ‘Sadya’ on the

Thiuruvonam day. Whatever may happen they will not miss this grand lunch. There is a saying in

Malayalam that ‘Kanam Vittum Onam Unnanam’ which means ‘We should have the Thiruvonam

lunch even if we have to sell all our properties’, which shows the importance of the grand lunch

on the Thiruvonam day.

Onam is celebrated with a focus on different cultural aspects at different places. Athachamayam- a

cultural procession takes place in the royal town of Tripunithura near Kochi, on the Atham day of

Chingam, which also marks the beginning of Onam celebrations. At the Vamanamoorthy temple

in Thrikkakara, the annual temple festival coincides with Onam. The temple is dedicated to Lord


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Vamana and is directly linked to the mythological

background of Onam.

A strikingly impressive procession of caparisoned

elephants is taken out at Thrissur, where masked

dancers also go from house to house performing the

colorful Kummattikali dance. Pulikali (tiger dance),

is a common sight during Onam season. Performers

painted like tigers in bright yellow, red and black,

dance to the beats of instruments like Chenda and

Thakil. Dances like Kaikottikali and Thumbi Thullal are

the important games among women. Fire crackers are

also burnt to add fun to the celebration. The eldest

member of the family presents gifts and new clothes

to all family members.

The Vallamkali (the snake boat race) is another event

that is synonymous with Onam. Well-known races

include the Aranmula Boat Race and the Nehru Trophy

Boat Race. About 120 oarsmen row huge and graceful

snake boats and men and women come from far and

near to watch the snake boats skim through the water.

It’s a brilliant panoramic view of human spirit and

fervor and passions coming to the forefront.

Ask any local child, the most important things about

celebrating Onam are the Onakkodi, the new clothes

worn on this day and the Onam sadya, a feast which

is quite elaborate and the Onappookalam and its

associated games.

Athachamayam:The grand opening ceremony of Onam

To mark the opening of the 10 day ‘Onam mania’,

the spectacular ‘Athachamayam’ takes place on

‘Atham’ (an auspicious date in the Malayalam month

of Chingam). It is conducted at the pristine town of

Tripunithura, with a carnival rally that consists of a

display of visual and audio demonstrations by eminent

artists, along with ethnic cultural feats.

Pookkalam: The floral carpet Pookkalams are aesthetically arranged floral designs,

usually on the floor. It is meant as a representation

of a colourful era, and to place the ‘Onathappan’

(a deity) in the middle of the floral pattern. Almost

all the families in Kerala, irrespective of caste and

creed, make Pookkalams as a gesture of the religious

harmony enjoyed in the state.

Vallamkali: Snake boat races that raise the pace of your heartbeat

‘Chundan Vallam’ race or the ‘Snake boat race’ is the

most captivating event of the great festival, Onam. This

race is promoted as a major tourist attraction and

draws thousands of tourists from India and abroad.

The history of this extraordinary boat race goes back

to many centuries and is globally accepted in its

matchless grandeur.

Important boat races Nehru Trophy Boat Race �

Aranmula Boat Race � Payippad Boat Race

Pulikali: The tiger dance

As one of the most attractive and active aspects of

Onam, ‘Pulikali’ is simply unrivalled in its vibrancy

as an entertainment. Hundreds of men, regardless

of age, transforms themselves into the role of tigers

and leopards, and roam in the streets to put on an

unbelievable and mind boggling performance that no

one can easily forget.

Gajamela: The elephant carnival

Ornately caparisoned elephants elegantly move in

a row, led by trained mahouts. A sight thousands of

spectators from all part of the world love, the heady

pachyderms of Kerala are a prominent part of temple

festivals in almost all part of the state; something very

impressive to watch.

THE TEN DAYS OF CELEBRATION Atham Patthinu Ponnonam

THE TEN DAYS OF CELEBRATION Atham Patthinu Ponnonam

9


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Karanavar are called Onakazhcha.

UTHRAADAM: This being the day just preceeding the

big day of celebrations, a lot of activities are abuzz in

the Malayalee homes. The usual practice in traditional

Hindu homes is to set up idols of Vamana, referred

to as Thrikkakara Appan, Mahabali and Ganesha, with

a ‘Para’ (bowl) full of the harvested rice, coconuts,

bananas and other elements of an Ona Kazhcha. A

floral carpet of Thumba flowers is laid out stretching

from the flower carpet to the Padipura (the chief

entrance) of the house in tribute to Mahabali.

THIRU-ONAM: The grand finale of the festivities

begins at 4am in the morning when the entire family

assembles around the floral decoration and after a

small Puja ceremony, cracks open a coconut offered

to Mahabali. It is believed that the neat cleaving of

the two halves of the coconut can be read to predict

the full year ahead. Thus begins and ends a festivity.

Celebrations last all day and include a plethora of

activities, games, cultural presentations, dance and

music and gifts and feasting.

ATHAM: The celebrations of Onam start on Atham

day. Earthen mounds, which look somewhat like square

pyramids, representing Mahabali and Vamanan are

placed in the dung-plastered courtyards in front of the

house and beautifully decorated with flowers. The flower

carpet on this day is made entirely only of Thulasi

(Holy Basil) and Thumba (Leuca Indica). The Attha-

Chamayam on this day is a festival procession that

takes your breath away by its sheer grandeur and fun.

CHITHIRA: Into the Second day, yellow colours are

added to the verdant green of the holy basil and

virginal whites of the Thumba. Most commonly, it is

a flower locally referred to as Mukutti. But, with the

increasing difficulty in procuring these flowers in the

desired quantity, any flower in the yellow shade is used

nowadays. The shape is still round and there are three

layers to the flower carpet now.

CHOTHI: On the third day, a new colour Red is

introduced to the floral arrangement. So now the

flower carpet has a central green layer of holy

basil, surrounded by white, yellow and now red.

The commonly used flowers are the Chemparathi

(Hybiscus) and Chetthi Poo (Ixora).

VISHAAKHAM, ANIZHAM & THRIKETTA: These

three days also follow the same pattern as that of

Chothi, with the small change that the color red is no

longer used, Until Thiru-Onam. Also each consecutive

day till Thiru-Onam, the layering of flowers is increased,

both in thickness and width.

MOOLAM: Until now, we have been following a round

shape, but on the Moolam day, the flower carpet is

square and the Corners are marked out. In some parts

of Kerala, Dasha Pushpa or the ‘ten potent flowers’ are

also added.

POORAADAM: On this day the square is retailed

with an outer layer of circular shape usually done with

Holy basils. On the eve of Pooradam, and the next day

too, tenants and dependents bring produce of their

farms or the product to the Karanavar (eldest member

of the house). These gifts from the tenants to the

Shopping in Onam...

I shopped like crazy in Kerala. I

think Onam season is the best time

to take a little Kerala back to your

homes. Thank you Intersight.

10 11


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Be In Sight.Would you like to be a part of Insight?

Thank you for a wonderful time...

...for the lovely experience in Kerala

11

Euphoria of the Depths and the Heights...Adventure calls out from the highs and lows and deeps here...

My sincere thanks to Intersight

for giving me a wonderful time

in Kerala, I truly enjoyed each

moment of my stay over there.

I loved the Onam sadhya. It

is amazingly delicious and so

sumptuous. Thanks Intersight

for the lovely experience in

Kerala and for making us feel so

special in your land.

John Keith, England

Mrs. & Mr. Ron Stein,

Switzerland


Just mail us your holiday pictures,

illustrations, stories, testimonials

or any creative piece that we can

publish. Insight is a seasonal

newsletter from Intersight that

lets you taste the fl avor of Kerala,

guiding you on what to look out

on each season. You can share

your experiences with Intersight. If

you are from the tour promotion or

hospitality segment, just tell us how

you would like to associate with

Intersight. We would love to hear

from you.

Contact us for further details.

In our next issue, we are go-

ing to get hot and sweaty and

extremely adventurous. For the

brave at heart and for those

king & queen cats of everyday,

concrete jungles, the Next In-

tersight Magazines shall open

up new possiblities for some

fantastic thrills, and adventures

that make survival in the cities

positively tame!

Got great ideas along these

lines? Write us your kind of

adventures at our mail ID. And

follow us on the online updates,

comments, tour ideas and what

nots for the wanderlust smit-

tens, at our intersight blog, in-

troduced next issues only!

Suzan Mulligan, USA

DASHA PUSHPA… Ten Blooms to Health, Happiness, & Prosperity

In some parts of Kerala, Dasha Pushpa or the ten potent fl owers are also added each

day. The Dasha Pushpa are herbs with very potent medicinal value and are active

ingredients of many ayurvedic preparations that form a part of a traditional Malayalee

everyday routines to healthy and congenial living. During Onam, the medicinal relevance

of these herbs extend to a cultural value as well and take a place in the “Pookalam” each

consecutive day, till Thiru-Onam.

Karuka(Synodon Dactylon) � Cherupoola(Ervalanetta Jess) � Poovankurunthila(Vernoniya

Sineriya) � Vishnukraanthi(Evolvulous Alsinoides) � Muyalcheviyan(Emilyason chifolia) �

Nilappana(Kurkuligo Orchiyoyidez) � Kayyonni(Eclipta Alba) � Uzhinja(Cardiyospermum

Halikakabam) � Thiruthali(Manthragora Ofi cinalam) � Mukkutti(Biophytum Sensitivum)

Mukkutti Nilappana Muyalchevi Thiruthali Uzhinja

Cherupoola Poovankurunthila Kayyanyam Karuka Vishnukraanthi

� The grand festival of Kerala

� 10 days of non-stop celebration

� Colourful and fl amboyant festivities

� Best season for benefi cial shopping

� Exceptional fl oral decorations

� Entertainments related to legends

� A special season for family get-togethers.

� A time to enjoy the ethnic Kerala cuisine

ONAM; a glimpse

Intersight Tours & Travels (P) Ltd.

2389022

Kochi � Mumbai � Delhi � Bangalore � Chennai � Kolkata � Kovalam www.fullmoon.co.in

For Private Circulation only. Printed at Live Print Offset Inc., Thrikkakkara, Kochi - 682 021, Tel: 0484-2576392

Exclusive Kerala ONAM PACKAGES from Intersight

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Pulikali - Kerala's own Onam-time Mardi Gras!WILD & SPIRITED!

Pulikali - Kerala's own Onam-time Mardi Gras!

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