Celebrations for Onam to start from today

Floral decorations outside home, early morning visit to a temple followed by grand lunch and spending day with family and friends is how people will be looking to celebrate Onam in city.

Onam, a festival that goes on for three days is celebrated to mark the return of King Bali who ruled present day Kerala. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu in Vamana avatar after taking over all land from Bali gave him a promise to allow him to visit his people once every year.

King Bali, it is said, comes to meet his people on this day. Since his rule was marked by prosperity and welfare of people and people were happy under his rule, Onam is celebrated. It is also considered to be a harvest festival.

"Though there is no religious connection, people do come early morning to pray to Lord Guruvayoorappan. The temple opens at 5.30 am," said S Padmanabhan, trustee of the Asthika Samaj Temple in Matunga.

Soon after the prayer services, people visit family and friedns and then sit down for an elaborate meal callen Onam Sadya. "The meal has many disches. There are three to four vegetables, diffrerent varieties of payasam, avial, banana chips that is both sweet and salty, pickels and papad among others," said Jayalakshmi Narayan, resident of Bandra.

Though she cooks most delicacies, she does miss the banana leaf on which food is usually served. "That is a bit difficult. We do remember the days when as children we used to go to Matunga where food was served on banana leaf," she added.

However, some like K D Nair make it a point of having the Onam Sandya in a traditional affair by going to restaurant specialising in Onam food to have it in traiditonal style.