Coimbatore, September 17, 2013: Celebrations for Onam began in the city at least two weeks prior to September 16. Universities, colleges and commercial establishments organised various events related to the spirit of Onam. Competitions for pookalam, dances, and other forms of martial arts, were held.

Students in colleges took the celebrations to a different height by including a social welfare aspect to it. Some college students visited orphanages and old age homes and shared their joy with them. Students of Sri Krishna Arts and Science College, as part of the celebrations, took up a signature campaign to abolish child labour.

Departments of Catering Science and Hotel Management of colleges were involved in preparing the dishes for ‘Onam Sadhya’. All students and faculty enjoyed the traditional fare. Students of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Rathinam Technical campus, took out a procession where girls dressed in traditional saris danced the Mohini attam and men dressed in the ‘mundu’ played the Chenda melam, and displayed various martial art forms.

Sankara College of Science and Commerce, Sasi Creative School of Business and Sasi Creative School of Architecture, Kalaignar Karunanidhi Institute of Technology, and various other colleges celebrated Onam with traditional fervour.

Special Correspondent from Udhagamandalam adds:

Onam was celebrated with considerable enthusiasm by Malayalis in various parts of The Nilgiris district on Monday.

Overcast conditions did not dampen the Onam spirit.

At the Madras Regimental Centre in Wellington jawans organised a cultural programme.

A special puja was performed at the temple of Lord Ayyappa atop the Jail hill here. At Gudalur, Pandhalur and their surroundings which bordered Kerala many individuals and institutions vied with each other in forming floral designs over the past couple of days.

In Ooty institutions like the Crescent School used the occasion to strengthen the bond among their students.

Source: The Hindu, September 17, 2013