Hello everyone! Today, I’m excited to share my experiences with Onam celebrations in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). By the time you read this, the festivities will have probably wrapped up, given my usual delay in publishing my thoughts. But let’s dive into the exciting events I participated in this year.
Boat Race in Brampton
The first event was a boat race in Brampton, which even saw attendance from notable figures like Patrick Brown, mayor of the city and Pierre Poilievre. Not only did he attend, but he was also an active participant, captaining one of the boats. The race had teams exclusively for women, eight in total. It was reminiscent of the Vallam Kali boat race from Kerala, albeit on a different lake and in a different country.
Our friend’s team, surprisingly, emerged as winners. They were awarded the “Nehru Trophy”, marking the second consecutive win for the Trivandrum Club, the team our friend sponsors.
Each team consisted of 12 members, who rowed to the rhythm of local boat songs from Kerala including
Thithithara Thi Thi Thai Thithai Thaka Thai Thai.
While watching these races, a personal joke came to mind. I recalled watching Avatar and making a quirky connection between a scene in the film and a song rhythm familiar to Keralites, much to my dad’s amusement. As you can probably tell, I love injecting a bit of humor into everything!
Onam Sadhya
The hallmark of Onam celebrations is the Onam Sadhya – a feast consisting of a wide variety of vegetarian dishes from Kerala. All these are traditionally served on a banana leaf. My Sadhya included rice, banana chips, payasam, parippu curry and even a dish called inji curry. While I might have overindulged a bit (especially with the curry, which my mother wasn’t too pleased about), the experience was nothing short of delightful.
There are generally two types of Sadhyas: private ones held at homes with close family and friends, and larger ones organized by Malayali samajams at larger venues. The latter often includes intricate flower display named pookkalam, live Chendamelam, thiruvathira dance, kalaripayattu, oppana and even photo booths.
I had the pleasure of attending one such grand event hosted by the Mississauga Kerala Association.
Onachantha by Aaha Radio
The most modern take on Onam celebrations I witnessed was the Onachantha event conducted by the Aaha Radio team. Held in Vaughan on a horse racing field (with no racing happening, thankfully), the event was a fusion of traditional and contemporary entertainment.
From inflatable structures for kids to live food stalls, and the Aaha radio crew performing on stage, it was a vibrant Onam celebration like no other.
To wrap up my tale of Onam in the GTA, my dad shared a fun tidbit: in older times, elephants would race in the same way horses do. Intriguing, isn’t it?
Till next time, see you later!
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