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Festival of Onam celebrated in Castlegar

A group of students and immigrants from Kerala, India celebrated the Festival of Onam last week.
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The group posed behind the Pookalam. (Submitted)

Last week a group of Selkirk students, former students and families who have migrated from Kerala — the southern state of India — joined together with parishioners from St. Rita’s Catholic Church to celebrate the Festival of Onam.

The group organized a similar celebration last year, and this year, the number of participants doubled to over 100.

“This clearly shows the city is growing in multiculturalism,” said one of the organizers, James Varghese. “Students are migrating here and are bringing their families here, so the group is getting big.”

Onasadhya, a traditional vegetarian meal, was prepared and enjoyed.

The group also created a Pookalam, an intricately designed flower mat, that is an integral part of the festival that commemorates the homecoming of King Mahabali. The festival is unique in that it is a state festival that is celebrated by all religions and castes in India and is also celebrated all around the world wherever people from Kerala reside.

The fun and games part of the celebration included musical chairs and tug-of-war with participants receiving small prizes.

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The traditional vegetarian meal called Onasadhya was served as part of the festivities. (Submitted)
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Fun and games were a part of the Castlegar celebration of the Festival of Onam. (Submitted)
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Fun and games were a part of the Castlegar celebration of the Festival of Onam. (Submitted)
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Fun and games were a part of the Castlegar celebration of the Festival of Onam. (Submitted)


Betsy Kline

About the Author: Betsy Kline

After spending several years as a freelance writer for the Castlegar News, Betsy joined the editorial staff as a reporter in March of 2015. In 2020, she moved into the editor's position.
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