Onam- a
celebration of homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali and in today’s era represented as
the harvest festival borne in God’s own country, Kerala. But at IFMR, Chennai
it spelt much more than that. It displayed the rich blend of cultures, the true
essence of sharing and the joy of team work. The fest started with the hard
work of current batches in making Pookalam, bringing forth the true sense of
Festival of Rain flowers,as Onam is called, and adorning the college entrance
with a majestic creation of flowers. As the onam zeal started flowing through
the dusky day, students got ready to welcome the festival with full vigour and
warmth. While girls personified beauty in sarees and traditional dresses, boys
matched up too. Traditional “munds” were a common sight among them,encasing rich
cultural attachment. Each student helped the other in looking his/her best and
in contributing in whichever way possible to the celebrations. Classes started
with a warm wish from faculty members which received a loud response simply
echoing the ecstasy people felt. The sweetness of Keralites was well reflected by the distribution of
sweets throughout the batch which not only added to the fervor but spread
congeniality too. Onam may be the festival of Malayalis but it surely saw a
huge enthusiasm from people from all states and religions. To find happiness in
small things,to share warmth and to look beyond ourselves,beyond realms of
cultural differences is what Onam taught us. It taught us to care for others
and to put in the best effort for things which matter in our lives; one of the
many lessons of Life at IFMR.
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