Jesus and Mary College celebrated Onam, the festival of Kerala for the first time on 10th September. The student organisers and volunteers adorned traditional white Kanjivaram sarrees keeping in line with the festive spirits of Onam as it signifies home coming of King Mahabali and also the harvest season in Kerala. One of the students dressed as King Mahabali in a dhoti commenced the programme by welcoming the Principal and teachers, followed by the singing of traditional Onam songs by first year students. The event then progressed on with energetic dance performances of Thiruvadhira by second year students and Rockaankuthu by third year students.
Mr. Jobin Thomas, a teacher from the English department at JMC then delivered a short speech in Malayalam followed by a small act by the mythical King Mahabali, which was met with a heavy applause from the crowd. Approaching the end, President of the college union, Asha delivered a vote of thanks to the Principal and audience and also to her team and participants who helped to make the event a success. Oshia Fen Raju, one of the anchors of the event happily reported, “As Onam was celebrated for the first time in our college people were excited and thrilled about it. And it’s a very proud moment for me and Asha as the program was a grand success!”
Finally, the event came to a close with distribution of the ritualistic Payasam, a desert from Kerala, in the college and holding the festive spirits high.
Photos by Uzma Rehman for DU Beat
Tarushi Verma