Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala. Millions of lines have been written about Onam over the years. But my people’s Onam fifty years ago was different. The first term exam was called Onam exam. When the exams are over the school would be closed for Onam holidays. It was the children's job to clean the house and the surroundings before Onam. Since my house is surrounded by Hindu families there would be a lot of excitement before Onam. My sister and I would go to their houses to help them for the Onapookalam (flower arrangement) in front of their houses. We used to pluck flowers like thumpapoo. Arippoo, kakkapoo and kolambipoo from various compounds. A long rope swing would be tied in the branch of a big jack fruit tree in our backyard. All the children near my house would come there for swinging. The day before the Thiruonam we will gather in the kitchen.

Children would peel the skin of the bananas and cut them into thin circular chips while the women would be frying banana chips, sarkaraperatti, and kaliadakka and so on. With all these preparations, every house would be ready for the festival. On the Thiruonam day everybody would be wearing onakkody (new dress). Boys will be playing onappanthu (rubber ball), the girls would be on the swing, and women would be cooking for the sumptuous lunch. The air would be filled with the aroma from the kitchen, the crackling sound of frying pappad and the clinking sound of the utensils. Suddenly one could hear the chendayadi (beating of drums) indicating the arrival of kaduvakali (play of tiger). We would stop plying and swinging and would run to see the kaduvakali. Soon we would be receiving Onam food gifts like Payasam (sweet dessert) and other fried items from our neighbors. The highlight of the festival would be the grand vegetarian lunch called Onasadya served on a plantain leaf. There would be several dishes such as pappad, thoran, mezhukkuperatti, avial, sambar, pickles, rice, banana chips, sarkaraperatty, ripe banana, buttermilk and payasam. After the lunch the women from neighboring house would gather in one compound to perform thiruvathirakali, a traditional dance performed in a circle around a nilavilakku. The women looked gorgeous in their Onam attire with jasmine flowers pinned to their hair. The children would be sitting on the ground and cheering them. The men would be playing cards or pakida.

Vishu is another Hindu festival celebrated by my people. This day is considered auspicious to start new ventures. The most important event of the day is vishukani (the first sight of the day) so as to bring good fortune throughout the year. The kani includes rice, cucumber, betel leaves, metal mirror, coins, coconut, konna flowers arranged in a metal vessel called uruli and kept in the prayer room along with a nilavilakku. The people in the house wake up early morning and walk to the prayer room with the eyes closed so that the kani will be their first sight.

I used to go to their houses lately to see their kani even though it was not my first sight of the day. The most interesting part of the day is vishukaineetam (a small gift of money) from elders to children to bring prosperity for them. This was observed in my family also. Kavadiyattam is another ritual observed on that day. This ritual is a dance carrying mayilpeelikavadi (a huge bow decorated with peacock feathers) on their shoulders. Some kavadis were tower shaped called ambalakavadi, some decorated with flowers called pookavadi. The dancers pierced their tongues and cheeks with skewers called soolam. They twist and spin with their kavadi in step with the beats of chenda (percussion instrument) and nadaswaram (wind instrument). It was amazingly a beautiful sight of devotion. The procession will start from the Subramanian temple at Perunnai and end at Annapoorneshwari temple at Vazhappally.

Changanasserry is blessed to have a pilgrim Centre called Marian pilgrim Centre situated at St. Mary's church Parel (Parel pally). People from all walks of life visit this Centre especially during the festival day on 8th December. The zealous faith and spiritual disposition shown by the faithful to come to give honor to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the shrine is marvelous. Visiting the church is soul-refreshing for me.

Changanasserry is famous for religious harmony and togetherness among the people. It was envisaged by the king Uday Marthanda Varma, who built the Kavil Bhagavati temple at Puzhavatu near his palace and encouraged the Christians to build the Metropolitan church and the Muslims to build Puthoorpalli Muslim Jama-ath close to the temple so that he could hear different religious prayers at the same time from the same place. The festivities of all the three religions fall on 25th December. On that day a procession of elephants carrying chandankudam, a pot containing coins as offerings secured with sandalwood paste and the top covered with a cloth start from Jama Masjid proceed to the Kavil temple. The elephants are decorated with nettipattam (golden headdress) and the elephant riders carry ornate parasols. Venchamaram, (royal fans) and alavattam (ornamental fans) enrich the beauty of the elephants. There will be beating of the percussion instruments (chenda) and playing of wind instruments (nadaswaram). The procession will be given a grandeur reception in front of the temple and then in front of the cathedral. The grand finale will be the spectacular display of fireworks which will enrich the sky with rainbow colors.

My school days were colorful enriched with festivals and strikes, highs and lows, curricular and extracurricular activities, sunny days and rainy days. I respectfully remember all my teachers who were inspiring, devoted and hardworking, kind and considerate. I bow my head before them. I was graduated from Saint Berchmans High School in March 1965 after my S.S.L.C exam.

Vazhappally is my land and its inhabitants are my people. It is a serene land and its people are beautiful. It is the land of peace and its people are peacemakers. The land is fertile and the people are hardworking. It is the epitome of religious tolerance and unity. I embrace them.