Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Onam @ Sobha Palladian



Onam is an annual Harvest festival in Kerala  

According to legends, the festival is celebrated to commemorate King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam. This year’s Onam began on 1 Sept and ended on Friday 13 Sept.
We celebrated our third Onam at Sobha Plalladian on Sunday, 15th Sept 2019.
And each year the celebrations have seen a quantum leap in terms of the participants, their energy levels and the enthusiasm of the entire residents here!
The quality and the professional level of execution of the events have been exceptional. The baseline has been set high , starting with the Republic day event at the start of this year, and into the Independence day celebrations last month.
One can only wonder if there is still opportunity for things to get any better. And I will not be surprised next time.

One thing I must mention..
 All the events so far have been dominated by the children and the women folks. The chorus songs, the wonderful dances – Onam, Dandiya & Christmas to name a few, the fancy-dress performances during R Day & I Day. And the skits during Ganesh Chathurthi.
Even during the Halloween evening where our Men could possibly outperform their fairer partners and their kids, their involvement was significantly missing. I saw only one lonely pirate caught up by a clutch of witches, while the entire colony and the top floor of Block 1 especially swarmed with evil looking witches, Banshees,Payees and little devils and super-brats running all over playing trick or treat!

And only during Holi did I see a few young men dance around and shake their legs.  Maybe because they had one too many? And at the SP music club I did see the emergence of our own local Kishore Da, Rafi and Mukesh.

It’s time for our men folks to get more active and let loose their inhibitions. And they can surely create some good opportunities as well. We have quite a few athletic bodies, some well-toned muscles and maybe a dozen or so '6-pack abs' that can be flaunted!!
So how about a Mr Sobha Palladian contest??
I can get sponsorships from Rupa underwear and Lux Cozi banian!

Check out these potential and eager contestants flexing their calf muscles!!!




Or a John Travolta/Elvis Prestlley or a MJ Night ??

Good news. Diny announced that next year Venki and Arjun have agreed to lead the Onam Puli kali Tiger Dance. Here is a preview of what you can expect.
Watch out ladies! The big boys are coming!!

Back to ONAM.

Preparations started 3 weeks ahead – the dance practice. For Thiruvathirai Kali!
Even my wife Jayanthi got reluctantly pulled into it. And for the first few practice sessions she admitted she had no idea which way her legs and hands were swinging .  However the consistent coaching, and encouragement of Choreographer Nivedita,  and her motivating calls kept her going .
‘Aunty, intha gumbal ley neenga enna wrong panna kooda onnu theriathu!” – even if you make a mistake, you will not get noticed in this melee! – and that was enough to boost Jayanthi’s confidence !!

And the final result: a superb performance -nothing less than spectacular!
Two sets of dancers – the young ‘Pink’ group who danced like those professional troupes performing in a Karan Johar’s film song choreographed by Saroj Khan.  And the Young @ Heart Challengers the ‘Green’ group that kept up gracefully in pace and tempo of the song.
It was wonderful WOW moment for all of us to watch. And there was the classical Onam off white sari offset by bright tops and ornate gold borders.  And those bright red ‘Alta’ painted palms set off the festive mood!!
Check out these wonderful ladies– brightly donning their war paints and armed with Alta!! 


Poo Kolum :
The morning started with making of the traditional Poo Kolum – Rangoli with flower petals. A wonderful tapestry of natural bright colours adorning our Clubhouse foyer. Prashiba and her earnest team started off at 8.30AM.
Shredding flowers to get those bright coloured fresh petals ..

So bright and beautiful..

Poo kolam in the making .. 

L to R: Kalai, Sridevi,  Prashiba,  Vinaya, Shreya, Aprajita, Anusha.
And finally, A wonderful poetry written with petals!
Hats off to Prashiba, the chief architect.
And they got some much-needed help from our Bachha paltan (Kids army) as well. Anandita, Ahana, Mihika, Aarushi & Elisha.
And They also made their own creation too! – pretty good for a first attempt!!

Decorating the Fountain area for that great background.

And the excited kids all smartly dressed up..







All ready for action!!






Nivedita giving last minute instructions to the young performers.






And action started when our MC (Master of Ceremonies) Diny took over the mike.

“The second half of the year is filled with festivities… To start with we have the Krishna Janmashtami. This festival celebrates the birth of Krishna, the 8th avatar of Vishnu. Dance, drama, night vigil, fasting, dahi handi, are all part of the Janmashtami celebrations. And how can we miss Raas Lila, which in essence is the devotion of Gopis and Radha towards Krishna in the form of dance.

Here we have our little tiny tots aged 2-4, Kahaan, Ashvika, Agastya, Meera, Samar, Gautham and Varnika performing Raas Lila for us… 
Enjoy the enchanting performance…

Check out Krishna and Radha in their traditional best Brindavan attire!!

And they danced merrily to the lively ‘Radha kaise na Jale’ number from Lagaan.

 Madhuban mey kanahiya kisi Gopi se miley…..

And the audience turnout was at its peak. Everyone came to watch, and many armed with their cameras and phones and they stood all over ready to click !! 






From 5 year old girls to 93 year old defence & industry veterans!!





And enthusiastic hubbys perched on a ledge waiting to catch their wives in action!!
  

And then the stage rocked
The earth shook
The loudspeakers blasted out ..
And then the kids rolled in !! 
Diny : Ganesh Chaturthi with all the festivities was celebrated in Palladian last week.
Now, hold your breath for a dance performance by our very talented kids of Palladian celebrating Ganesha in all grandeur. We have Aarna, Saachi, Gauri, Akaisha, Zaynah, Mansi, Diya, Dyuthi, Riya, Ayush, Adrish, Vishwak, Bibaas and Virat bringing Ganesha celebrations as a feast to your eyes.

Be ready to roar with your claps and whistles….

The kid’s performance, as expected stole our hearts! Such bursts of energy, Young hands and legs swinging in coordination and keeping with the fast beat.


 

Check out those wonderful expressions!!

 



And the intensity with which they danced.

And the grand finale.  Ganapathy Bappa Moreya !!!
And this ‘pro’ group is well poised to win the India has talents contest!!!
 
Thiruvathurai Kali  !!  

Thiruvathirakali or Kaikottikaliis is a unique dance performed in Kerala on the auspicious day of Thiruvathira, the birthday of Lord Shiva. It is performed by women who seek blessings for eternal marital bliss. As per Hindu mythology, this dance is what brought Kamadeva (God of Love) back to life when he had been burnt to ashes by Lord Shiva's fury.
The graceful movements of the dance are both enchanting and elegant. The white saris with colourful borders along with fresh jasmines adorning their hair make for a wonderful sight. Fidelity and the power of female energy are the crux of this ancient practice. (Ref: Kerala Tourism.)

 Diny:  Kaikotti means to clap hands, Kali means to play.
Here we are presenting to you, Thiruvadirakali with a twist, as a dance off between the older and younger generation Palladian ladies. We have Jayanthi, Jayashree, Sangeetha, Chandra, Pratibha, Mohana, Gayatri, Nalini and Sudha and Anuradha who has graciously accepted to lead them as Team Green vs Swetha, Vijetha, Vini, Prasheeba, Freeda, Dhanu, Sruthi, Nikitha, Supriya, Niveditha, Yojana and Vinaya representing Team Pink.

Sit back and enjoy the captivating performance… 

 

Meet the family that made all this action happen.

Mom, Mohana (middle), sons Sundar(left) & Venkat(right): Daughter in laws, Nivedita & Supriya: And grandkids ,  Chanakya & Dyuthi !!

While Mohana danced to the tunes of her daughter in law, it was Nivedita who made all action happen. Nivedita was the main choreographer for all dance sequences (Saroj Khan & Farah Khan rolled in one)..
She taught all the steps to the kids, spent endless hours making them dance in coordination – coaxing, encouraging and driving this unruly young group  to gear up and deliver such a stupendous performance . She designed the costumes and selected the songs as well.
And she encouraged and egged the senior folks to participate and taught them to dance without inhibition and fear.
And she directed the dance sequences for the younger elegant ladies and taught them perfection and grace!!
And all the family members enthusiastically joined in the performances.
And on the day before the show, the entire family was working late into the night making the props  - the golden colored dholaks , the cymbals and other props that was used in the dance sequences.
A Mega THANK YOU folks!!  We are lucky to have such a wonderful family amongst us!!

Onam Sadya – Fine dining Kerala style!!
For some folks who have read my last year’s blog, pl bear with me for some repetition..

Onam Sadya is very unlike a fine dining in a Five Star.
While the quality and variety of food competes with the world’s finest cuisines, the style and ambience are radically different.
For traditional Sadya, you squat on the floor. (Thankfully our cultural committee provided us steel tables and plastic chairs. Much appreciated !!)
There are no silver ware / no stone ware / nor fine china.
One large Banana leaf – Ashtey!!
No spoons, no knives. Use your god given hands folks!!

And you might have to use both hands dexterously. Right hand to eat and the left, to manage the flow of piping hot rasam and other fluids on your leaf by alternately lifting the various edges of your banana leaf. And if you are not quick enough, you run the risk of that piping hot gooey stuff rushing straight into you and on to some sensitive part of your body. And you do not want that – you bet (speaking from my experience).
Thankfully nowadays our modern caterers have made these dishes ‘non-keralite’ friendly. For example, the traditional Avial that comes with vegetables floating in spicy and hot coconut milk gravy now gets served as a lump of mixed vegetable. 

And the cooking is less chilly and spicy, served at ‘baby-bath’ warm temperatures and with manageable viscosity!  And even the sweet Ada Pradaman is diabetic friendly!!
And the traditional warm Jeeraga Vellum (Jeera water) served in tall tumblers is replaced by a small sealed plastic water bottle!

But the Onam Sadya dining style and experience remains fully intact.
You do not leisurely partake a Sadya meal, slowly eating, striking up conversation with your friends between mouthfuls and occasionally sipping wine between the various courses of your meal.
No such things happen here.
You gorge food!
And eat really fast!!
And keeping in pace with the never-ending stream of fresh dishes and refills coming from your left.
And you have just 20 minutes to pump your stomach with as much as it can hold and a little more depending on the elasticity of your stomach lining.
Because the next batch of hungry folks are breathing down your neck, waiting for you to clear the table space.
And if that was not enough, there is bananas and Paan to follow.
And for the next three hours you are completely knocked out on your comfortable bed with a  soft pillow and your digestive system leisurely converts those 3500 cals. into pure fat.
And that means burning an extra 600 cals. per day for the next 6 days. Doable !!

And if you have a vague idea of exactly what you ate, here is the list of dishes that went down into your stomach .
I am sure you can recollect some of these tastes. 
Salt, Pickle are the first ones to come.
Upperi: The one thing everyone loves the most - banana chips.
Sharkara Varatti: The sweeter version of banana chips. Made of jaggery,
Puli Inji: A must have for Onam, Inji curry is ginger, tamarind and jaggery. In most malayali households, this is the first thing that is prepared in the days leading to the 10th day of Onam.
Avial: Mixed vegetables with grated coconut and made in coconut oil and milk. Man, this is one tasty mixed vegetable dish you'll ever have. 
Ellisheri: A yummy dish made with pumpkin, red beans and a generous amount of grated coconut.
Pulissery: Made with curd and a choice of vegetable ranging from pumpkin to cucumber and topped with a gracious amount of grated coconut.
Kaalan: A signature dish made with yogurt, yam or raw banana or of course our favourite, grated coconut
Olan: Ash gourd and red beans splashed with a generous amount authentic coconut milk.
Mangalore cucumber Kichadi: Spicy yogurt with vegetable like okra, cucumber Add it to your rice and parippu, and see how you lick your fingers in the end. 
Pineapple Pachadi: A delicious yogurt-based curry made with either pineapple or bitter gourd and, of course, grated coconut.
Rice (white & red), Dhal, ghee,
Sambhar: An essential dish of the Onam Sadhya, Sambhar is cooked with every vegetable there is from beans to potatoes to yam. Everything goes in to making this wonderful dish
Rasam : Spicy tamarind soup, sprinkled with a generous amount of curry leaves, mustard and tomatoes. Drink it up in the end for digestion or just add it with your sambhar and rice.
 Kootu Curry: Raw bananas and black chana with grated coconut made into a dry curry.
 Palada Pradhaman:  The last dish that is served- a sweet dish made with milk, dry fruits and rice ada. The sweetness is just perfect to balance all the spices. 

Ada pradhaman:  Onam celebration feels incomplete without a bowl of ada pradhaman. Rice ada, a typical Kerala food item made from rice, jaggery and coconut milk are key ingredients in making this delicious dish and are the reasons for its signature tropical coconut taste
And after you finish your meal and walk out of the dining hall there is Beetle leaf, banana!!

A round of applause to the cultural committee for pulling off yet another spectacular event. Thank you, folks, for such a wonderful Sunday morning!
And special thanks to Manoj, Prashiba, Jovial, Kalai and their families and of course Srini and Jayashree. Pardon me if I have missed out a few more.
Manoj, thanks for arranging the Sadya lunch and capturing all the action thru your lens.  SP Onam 2019 :  https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNob1XrsE6DLpEmUliMkcIAUZLFTgUgUyLQdMs8xKFaDAUuFot4brYKDeuCVV5rkw?key=N01LMWowazVJVXBFQXMxTVFITXFyc3lkcVU1Rnhn
And to all the volunteers who so enthusiastically pitched in to get things organised.
And not to mention the little ones, the young kids, the ladies and the senior ones as well. You all have been just amazing!! You Rock !!

And now I look forward to next year Onam 2020.
And the men folks here have taken up the challenge against the ladies.
And here are a set of eager folks who have signed up for the puli kali  (tiger dance) performance   next year!!


Cheers,
Krish..

5 comments:

  1. Beautifully compiled and very very informative too Krish! Relived the celebration and the fun moments through your post! Awaiting to see the pulis next year..hope they don't chicken out into iliis!

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    1. No Way Vinaya. Do not underestimate our men folks. If they can climb parapets and precariously balance themselves to click pictures of you folks dancing, i am sure they can paint themselves in stripes and jump thru a few hoops. Watch them next year, the tigers are coming !!!

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  2. I'm out of town and missed the event. Reading your blog makes me feel I actually attended it!

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  3. Beautifully written,we missed the Onam celebrations at SP.Thanks for the details. Now its time for the menfolk to dance to the tunes of our SP Saroj Khans.

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  4. Agree 100% !! remember Elvis Prestley's "Put on your dancing shoes" number ??

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