A taste of Kerala for expats

ബഹറിന്‍ കേരളീയ സമാജം കേരളോത്സവത്തെ കുറിച്ചു ബഹറിനിലെ പ്രമൂഖ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് വാരികയായ Gulf Weekly യില്‍ വന്ന വാര്‍ത്ത


A taste of Kerala for expats

By SHILPA_CHANDRAN


KERALITE expats got a real taste of home at the weekend when the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam put on its Keralotsavam 2009 complete with ceremonial drummers, traditional dishes and even elephants.
The atmosphere was buzzing with activity and the enticing smells of fresh food wafting through the air. There were crowded game stalls, traditional and cultural programmes on show and announcers calling out ticket prizes - a scene all too familiar in the south Indian state of Kerala.
Thousands of people attended the two-day summer festival at the Samajam's club premises in Segaiya over the weekend.
President Mohana Kumar P V said: "The festival was a huge success. The main significance of the festival, aside from its cultural offerings, is charity.
"For the nearly 200,000 Malayalees that are in Bahrain, the club is a home away from home to many and this charitable event is a way for us to recognise that and donate all the money collected towards helping families or individuals who are in need or distressed."
On Thursday night, the club hosted a musical evening with two well known singers from the state, Rakesh Brahmanandan and Sonia.
The event also featured a magic show and a performance by professional dancers.
The second day was action-packed from 10am to 11pm with a variety of cultural programmes.
Mr Kumar said: "Bahrain's various Keralite clubs and societies also took part in the festival by setting up food stalls and participating in programmes."
In the morning, the club held various activities for children and adults including games such as tug-of-war and kabaddi - a popular sport in India which is included in the Asian Games - a fancy dress competition for children and a mimic who performed as various animals and vehicles.
Following this, the evening saw a series of traditional Keralite art styles and activities represented beginning with the renowned snake boat race with men rowing and singing in merriment of victory.
Dance forms such as 'thiruvathira' and 'oppana' were performed by the ladies while the men took to the stage, painting their bodies and enacting folklore such as 'theyyam' - representing a period of folk life in Kerala.
They also acted out the 'kol kali' - where participants dance with sticks, 'margam kali' - an entertainment common amongst Christians in the state and also 'kavadi aattam' - a dance performed by devotees during a ceremonial worship of Lord Muruga.
The highlight of the festival was the activities organised to mirror the famous Keralite festival 'Thrissur Pooram', which features richly decorated elephants and percussion performances taking place continuously for 36 hours.
Though elephants are not so easy to find in Bahrain, club members got a taste of the festive sights with placards shaped in the form of elephants decorated with their 'nettipattam', or ceremonial headdress, a colourful parasol or umberalla and other memorabilia.
This was followed by the typical 'pancharimelam' - rhythmic beating of drums - and ended with a spectacular show of fireworks.
Mr Kumar said: "I am most definite that this event will go down in the history of the club."
Other sights which provided a nostalgic feel were the food stalls packed with visitors flocking to get a taste of their homeland with dishes such as 'kappa', chicken curry, beef fry and 'appam' alongside snacks such as 'pazhampori' and 'ada'.
One stall also featured balloons, plastic toys, accessories such as bangles and even a bunch of bananas... a peek into a real festival field in Kerala.
Mr Kumar added: "The event was a success of fellowship and I hope to see the same for all our future endeavours."

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