Onam, once again, came with a real bang to Somatheeram! The ‘Onam Festival -2010’ provided a wonderful opportunity for the guests to savor the rich culture, traditions and festivities of Kerala. The traditional Onam songs, the intricate flower carpets, the Thiruvathirakali, the lip-smacking Onam feast and a whole host of cultural extravaganza offered a truly awesome experience for the guests. The active and joyous participation from the guests and staff of Somatheeram enriched the festive ambience.
The Onam festivities commenced on Uthradom (ninth and the penultimate day of the Onam festival), at around 9 A.M. in the morning, with an ‘Athappokkalam’ contest or floral arrangement competition for guests.
The competition, held at the resort’s Mini Restaurant as well as on stage, offered a captivating sight for onlookers. The beautifully laid flower carpets were, indeed, a sight to behold! This was followed by [Image]the highly entertaining game of ‘Musical Chairs’ and ‘Pottu Thudal’ (Beauty Spotting), a rather hilarious game which is extremely popular in Kerala villages and is associated particularly with festivals such as Onam. The ‘Kalamadi Matsaram’, held later in the evening, proved to be yet another thrilling experience for the guests. In this game, a person, with one eye tied, attempts to smash a hanging pot with a stick. The graceful Thiruvathirakali’ performed by a group of women offered yet another wonderful visual spectacle. The Thiruvathirakali is a dance performed by the womenfolk on the Thiruvathira day in the Malayalam month of Dhanu (December- January). This elegant dance form, regarded as a celebration of marital fidelity and the quintessential female energy, is known for its highly sinuous and amorous movements. The festivities on the Uthradom day culminated with a series of cultural programs that lasted till night.
The Thiruvonam (tenth day of Onam) celebrations took off with flying colours [Image]at nine in the morning, with a short trip to places in and around Chowara, organized by the Somatheeram resort, for its guests. The trip offered them exquisite glimpses of Onam celebrations in Kerala in all its remarkable splendour. A foremost attraction of the visit was, in fact, the traditional Athappokkalams’ or the floral arrangements, which lend a touch of colourful magnificence to the celebrations. There were some fine photographic moments too! As part of the festivities, a well-adorned elephant was made available at the resort for the guests to take a ride on. Some of the guests, who seemed to be avid elephant lovers, thus got an excellent chance to take a ride on the majestic pachyderm!
The subsequent programs included the popular game, ‘Tug of war’ or rope pulling. It is, in fact, a village 
sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. Most of the guests and staff members at Somatheeram participated in this game, demonstrating their endless vigour, enthusiasm and sportive spirit. The guests at Somatheeram also got the wonderful chance to witness the Singarimelam, a keralite temple art form performed during festivals and other special occasions. Performed by ten to fifteen talented artists using musical instruments such as Chenda (traditional drums) and bells, this art form gave tremendous enjoyment to the audience. Another major attraction of the day was the traditional Pulikali or Kaduvakali, an annual harvest festival celebrated on the fourth day of Onam. Performers painted like tigers and hunters in bright yellow, red, and black danced vigorously to the beats of instruments such as Udukku and Thakil, offering an amazing visual spectacle for the guests.
When you think of Onam, the first thing that comes to your mind is the delicious, mouth-watering Onasadya! Therefore, unarguably, the best part of the festivities was the sumptuous Onasadya or the elaborate banquet lunch prepared for guests at the Somatheeram restaurant. The day-long Onam celebrations reflected the flamboyant spirit of the festival, at the same time giving the guests enchanting glimpses of the rich Kerala culture. The grand festivities of the day concluded with a host of interesting cultural programs that went up till late night.
The ‘Onam-Festival 2010’, undoubtedly, offered a great deal of amusement for the guests at Somatheeram. We sincerely hope that most of our guests will join us next year too for another fabulous Onam bash! So, do look forward to an array of sizzling, mind-blowing entertainment programmes in the coming year, that will surely capture the effervescent spirit of Kerala!
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