Onam is a widely popular Hindu festival held in Southern India. As a student of Vignana Joythi Institute of Management, Hyderabad I was fortunate to attend, and I was part of a huge crowd that included many 1st year and 2nd year students. And, as evidence of how popular this festival is, students from Kerala even invited students from other states to join them in the celebrations. For me, I have to admit that my favorite part of the festival was the delicious food – it was prepared by students in Kerala and it was amazing!
At the end of the event, a “musical chairs” contest was held. Musical chairs is a game where a group of people circle around some chairs while music plays in the background. The catch is that there is always one less chair than there are people. So, when the music stops, each person has to sit, or else they are out. It was exciting and hilarious to watch the students walk nervously around the chairs, waiting for the music to stop. Many students, most of them men, put on their traditional Kerala dress as they paced around the chairs. And, all of the students, no matter what year, showed a lot of enthusiasm while playing.
Many friends of my batch said they really enjoyed the festival. One of my friends, Aman, said that “musical chairs was awesome and it was nice to learn more about the culture of Kerala”. Another friend of my mine, Tushar, agreed with me and said “the food was amazing”. It didn’t matter if you were there for the games, food, dancing, or just to Kerala – Onam went beyond all of our expectations.
“Life becomes a festival when gaiety and culture blend. Onam delivers the message of both.”