Onam, the harvest festival of the Indian state of Kerala, marks the annual homecoming of legendary King Mahabali to visit his subjects. Celebrated around the world by Malayalees during the month of Chingam of the Kerala Calendar, which falls in August-September, festivities lasts for ten days and brings out the best of the Kerala culture and traditions. Intricately decorated Pookalam, ambrosial Onasadhya, breathtaking Snake Boat Race and exotic Kaikottikali dance are some of the most remarkable features of Onam celebrations.
 
The beauty of the festival lies in it's secular fabric. People of all religions, castes and communities celebrate the festival with equal joy and verve. Onam also helps to create an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood by way of various team sports organised on the day
 
Living in countries that are far away from their homeland, in the midst of different cultures, busy with the day-to-day mundane work and home tasks, the Non Resident Indian (NRI) community made this "land of opportunities" their home, have brought with them these cultural traditions and have sought to pass them on to their children, who are often born and raised here.
 
The celebration of Onam festival provides them with a perfect opportunity to encourage the new generation of children of Indian origin to witness, learn and appreciate these rich traditions, even while it offers the first generation NRIs to stay connected and cherish the rich cultural heritage they hold so dear to them.
 
There are several Associations and groups across the United States that organized Onam celebrations in the past month. Ever weekend, beginning in the last week of August to the end of September, there have been reports of Onam celebrations from around the United States.
 
Malayalee Association of Southern Connecticut (MASCONN) which was formed less than a year ago, had its maiden Onam celebrations last month in Bridgeport, CT. Attended by nearly for hundred people from southern Connecticut, the cultural extravaganza was in many ways “reliving the culture and traditions” and a “cherishing the past with a view to pass it on to the future generation.”
 
Mathew and Pramela, who had emceed the event shared the story of Onam with the young children who had gathered to celebrate the festival with their parents and friends: “Onam awaits one very special visitor, Kerala's most loved legendary King Maveli. He is the King who once gave the people a golden era in Kerala. The King is so much attached to his kingdom that it is believed that he comes annually from the nether world to see his people living happily. It is in honor of King Mahabali, affectionately called Onathappan, that Onam is celebrated.”

Earlier, Onam celebrations beagn with the lighting of the traditional Nailavilakku, by honored guests of MASCONN and the executive members, including President -  C.V Johnson, Vice President - Ajit Puthiyavettle, Secretary - Wilson Pottackal, and Treasurer - Giby Gregory. “MASCONN an offshoot of the natural growth of the Indian-American especially Malayalee Community in the southern Connecticut region,” said CV Johnson, in his welcome address. “In a very short period, we have grown by leaps and bounds and we strive to meet the growing needs of our community.

Legendary King Mahabali was welcomed to the stage with pancha vadyam and a warm traditional welcome by Radha, Sangeetha, Deepa, Priya, Priyanka, Jisha, Prameela, Susha, who later on performed Thiruvathira. The inaugural songs were presented by Harsha ands Sony. Several dances, songs and music by children and adults, and fashion parade by little children made the celebrations very memorable to all.   
 
The whole ambience was filled with nostalgia since it was an occasion for all the Malayalees in Connecticut to cherish their childhood memories, especially everyone enjoyed the sumptuous Onam Sadhya (meal), the most important and main attraction of the day with different traditional dishes and ''payasam'' that was served on banana leaves.

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