Onashamsakal Pune !

Image used for representation only

 

For the uninitiated this simply translates to Happy Onam!

If you still don’t know what I am talking about, you ought to be seriously concerned about your cognitive function.

Lets face it,  how can anyone be unaware of this amazing breed of human engineering, the Malayali aka Mallu aka Keralite aka Keralyeeyan (sic!) ??

For God’s sake, in case you have forgotten, our man Neil Armstrong landed on the lunar surface and had his first chai from our Sulaimanka’s shop barely a few feet away from the Apollo 11 capsule. Buzz Aldrin had his chai next. The year 1969.

In fact Sulaimanka’s son informs me that his father almost suffered a LI (Lunar Infarction) hearing this damn contraption land near his shop!

But as always, this isn’t about all this.

Infographic Courtesy – Abhiya Nima Roy ( MCC- Calicut )

This is about our friend King Mahabali who apparently has his reminders all sorted and lands into coconut country this time of the year. Now, I haven’t had a chat with this chap but he seems to be a fun type. Absolute foodie he is resulting in all those nice things happening on banana leaves during his stay.

As you may have realised, I am only a consumer and hence eat and drink what comes my way, save that one art that I have perfected; getting stuff for the Onam festivity at home.

Now, for those of you who may have forgotten, I stay in the dense jungles of the Pisoli Panchayat. That roughly translates to water only through tankers, drainage only with your own septic tank and an approach road modelled on the lunar surface.

No, no, don’t you dare say a damn thing about our Pisoli. We offer tributes to astronauts and other members of the human race. It is our way of saying we love you. It just so happens that some car axle gives way and every other resident has a strained lumbosacral region. But that is a different matter.

Onam Sadya : Image for representation only

This is all about Onam and Ashamsakal ( Wishes ) and so on. So, as I was saying, this Onam preparation, I am very good at it. I have over the years, befriended three Kerala shops in my geography and use my influence to get all the goodies (loads of chips included) at the penultimate moment. Now that is about the time when the missus has begun hyperventilating, “We have everything na …??”

This is precisely when I know it is time I connect with my Mallu brothers (read shop owners) and bring home everything well before she asks for the second time.

Remember, it is always prudent to act on the first reminder from the missus. Further delays can be injurious to your mental and physical well-being.

This time I am told, my younger daughter is busy overworking in the advertising mecca of Mumbai. Well, if campaigns can replace such moments, then life would truly be a billboard!

But this isn’t about all this; this is about Mahabali and Onam and Sadya and Payasam and all these good things in life.

Three cheers to good Ol Mahabali and his good intentions. As far as we are concerned, let’s just focus on some nice Onam fare and yes, before I forget…

Elaavarkum Pune365ude Hridayam Niranja Onashamsakal

May you all have a very Happy Onam !

Jaisurya Das