The Kerala Association of New England (KANE) held its annual celebration of Onam on September 14 at the Keefe Technical School in Framingham, MA. The program proper began with the invocation by Dr. Mandaram Kornath near the auspicious floral decoration (athapoo) after which the KANE President Veena Pillai lighted the Onam lamp. She brought focus to the day's festivities in her reflection about tradition, community, and our larger world. She quoted writer Louis Mumford who said that "A community whose life is not [nourished] by art and science, by religion and philosophy, day upon day, is only half alive." She expressed KANE members' gratitude for "health and family, for brotherhood, for collective strength, and for every blessing, small or large, that sustains us." The program then commenced with several distinguished speakers, among them Marlboro City Council President, Dennis Hunt, the FOKANA President, Mr. George Koshy and Reverend Abraham Thomas. Following the invocation, and the traditional harvest lunch- Onasadya, the program included a rich display of community talents, primarily in the form of group dances and skits representing the presence of legendary King Mahabali at the Onam harvest celebration.

Of special note in the program were the "Kerala Ulpathi," a dramatization of the myth of Kerala's birth and a symbolic dance by a nationally acclaimed dancer from India, whose dance presented Mother India as a home for all religions. Following a traditional Kerala dance named "Mohiniattam" and an Onam children's dance, King Mahabali acted by Paul Varghese graced the celebration and welcomed all members and families to this special KANE function. Noting humorously that he was tired of email communications with President Veena Pillai, Mahabali said he made his decision to attend the Onam celebration in person, and that he was greatly impressed by the skill and spirit of all the traditional dancers. All KANE members and families cherished Mahabali's good humor and honored his presence. Ms. Chitra Parayath did a masterful job as the MC for the program.

Through this annual Onam celebration, KANE members reaffirmed their commitment to tradition, history, and community. Members found the celebration enriching as they came together in gratitude for the continuing health and prosperity represented by King Mahabali.and the Onam feast. Officers next year are Mr. Samuel Thomas, President; Mr. Suresh Abraham, Vice President; Mr. Ravindran Koroth, Secretary; Mrs. Tessy Maliakal, Treasurer; and Mr. Kuriakose, Arts Club Secretary. Congratulations to them all for their commitment and willingness to serve the larger KANE community.

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