To Maveli, With Love…

Sravan Kumar

Your Majesty..!

Pranam. Happy Home Coming. But I am not happy because of my unavailability in your Kingdom to personally greet you and extend you a hearty welcome on your grand arrival for the festivities of Onam. I hope, you are having a good time as usual. Though it’s been more than four years we last met, I still cherish those fun filled days with you. To be honest, I was unaware of your larger than life persona, immense popularity and universal acceptability prior to my professional stay at your Kingdom, modern Kerala.

I had only a brief idea about you, your kingdom, your devotion from my late grandfather in my childhood. If you don’t mind, are you still a gol-motol like me? If so, let’s enroll in a fitness center together, do some work out and burn few calories. Just kidding boss..!

Though much water has flown under the river in these four years, my heart still longs to have a glimpse of the royal treats you get from your subjects. It compels me to walk down the memory lane and recall those days with you in the last Onam .Everyone irrespective of caste, creed, religion and colour is busy in preparing for your ten day long eventful sojourn. Even in the era of science, logic and artificial intelligence, you have not lost your significance and importance. Rather,you have become truly cosmopolitan. You are not confined to only the geographical boundaries of Thirukochi, Travancore or Malabar. The atmosphere of celebration is equally charged and soaked in festive fervor in other parts of the country, world and especially the gulf region wherever there is presence of Malayalis.You can check the profiles of my Malayali friends living in Australia and their latest updates going through my Facebook page.

It is obvious to feel jealous about the way the people of your state take care of your every single wish and their hospitality. Every courtyard, be it of a small hut or a multi storied apartment, government office or corporate house , is well decorated with Pookalam, the rangoli of colorful flowers spreading the fragrance of prosperity and happiness just to build up your festive mood. Everyone is busy rehearsing to present you a soothing, heart rendering Onappattu. Every wardrobe is packed with brand new Onakkodi and fashionable jewellery. Nothing to worry. Rather feel elated as it implies the economic prosperity of your subjects. Your arrival let them forget the dooms and despairs of life.

Even in the era of locking and popping, they practise and perform Pullikalli putting their heart, soul and mind to make sure your passion for traditional art form is intact. Vallam Kali, the snake boat race conducted during the festive season of Onam is spectacular and a visual treat for the tourists. It symbolizes your passion for adventure and sports. Hats off to the vibrant cultural richness of your state.

Starting from the golden period of your ruling to the days of OommenChandy and Pinarayi Vijayan, in your state Naari Shakti,the women power rules. The flagship Kudumbashree Mission has added fillip to the continuous process of empowering women, children and under privileged section of the society. It would be definitely a tough task for you to choose the best one among them as the whole women world is full of elegance and dressed up uniformly in off-white kasavu sarees well complemented with golden border, royal jewelries, attractive hair dos with a string of jasmine and collyrium adorned beautiful eyes. I could understand how impressed you are. Let me make an honest confession. Even though I am in the City of Joy, I too wish to behold the most beautiful creation of God and their beautiful black eyes in God’s own country. The off-white mundu and kurta or half sleeve shirt of the jubilant masculine mass is also impressive.

Onam is incomplete without a Sadhya. It symbolizes your unconditional love for food. Every time you call on your subjects, you are served a delicious Sadhya on banana leaves. Each year the Onam Sadhya turns more delicious than the previous as the emotions they pour in to prepare the lip smacking feast to relish your taste buds get stronger and deeper. Would you mind letting me know your favorite dish? Mine is obviously palada payasam and pulliseri. Frankly speaking, for non- Keralites like me who had the privilege to be a part of Onam Celebration, it’s once in a life time achievement, an experience to share with the loved ones, a possession to feel proud of, an affair to be involved with.

I always considered your state my home away from home. My love for your state and the people is unconditional. I go gaga on endorsing the marvels of your kingdom, be it the salubrious mountains of Munnar or green lushly fields of Palakkad, the biodiversity of Thekkady or the beautiful Kovalam on Arbian Sea, the silent back waters or the onset of sizzling monsoon, the black clouds or the beautiful black eyes, the Calicut Halwa or the Malabar Biryanis, the healing touch of Ayurveda or the murmuring waterfalls, the caparisoned tuskers or highly talented and creative young hearts and minds, Thiruvathira or Thrissur Pooram, Kathakali or Mohiniattam, Onam or Christmas,Guruvayoor or Padmanabhaswami, Mammootty or Mohanlal.

I am equally concerned about the growing incidence of political killings in the state as you are. Like you, I too wish being Malayalis or Mallus be their sole identity rather than being differentiated by their religion. Let the pluralism of your culture prevail.

Before I wrap up, let me give you some indication about the challenges ahead you need to face. There are a lot of issues and concerns that need to be addressed for the betterment of your subjects. Let’s have a high level managerial discussion after the celebration is over. Enjoy your time. Take care of your health. Have fun. If at all you don’t have any prior engagements and could extend your stay even after Onam, Sachin Paaji will be more than happy to host you in a match of Kerala Blasters FC in the upcoming ISL.

By the way, how was your first ever metro ride in Kochi ? Hope you did notice the commendable effort of KMRL in deploying people from LGBT community and bringing in social inclusion. Wish you and your subjects a happy and healthy Onam.

 Hridayam Niranja Onashamsakal….

Pavitra Onam Parva ra subha abasara re anek anek hardika subhakamana.

Cheers..!

(Prajna Prasad Sravan Kumar is an IT Professional and currently based at Kolkata)