Among the many mythologically rooted cultural practices performed throughout the ten-day Onam festival period, the pookkalam is the symbolic hallmark of the festival. Every year, Keralites — both native and the diaspora — spend much time and effort in creating dazzling arrangements in anticipation of their returning King.
The pookkalam is a circular floral mat presented at the entryway of Keralites’ homes to welcome the returning Mahabali. Traditionally, pookkalam designs were created in ten rings in homage to the ten-day course of Onam. But today the design of the floral masterpieces, though still assembled in a circular shape, has evolved away from the ten rings catechism and been thrown open to a myriad of different patterns.
With more than 700,000 Keralites residing in Dubai celebrating Onam, a lot of time, care and pride go into the preparations, with pookkalams taking centre stage at the various commemorations of Lord Vishnu’s Vamana avatar and the subsequent homecoming of Mahabali.
Rajagopalan Nair, General Convenor, Onam 2012 Al Nasr Leisureland, says Onam festivals are becoming more popular at the Dubai-based leisure facility every year. Al Nasr also holds pookkalam competitions where the eight members of the United Malayali Association (UMA) enter to win commemorative prizes.
“We order over 300 kilograms of five to six varieties of flowers directly from Kerala for the competitors to use and create their own unique pookkalams,” Nair explains. “The flowers are distributed to the eight groups taking part in the competition at 6.30am, and they then have until 10am to design and finish their pookkalam.”
Once competitors have completed their pookkalam designs, three assigned judges from the UMA mark the eight pookkalams against 50 criteria, including presentation, colour, individuality and creativity among other important elements.
Bharat Chachara, General Manager of the India Club in Dubai says that the Onam festival always generates a good turnout from his club’s members, Keralite or not, thus reaching out to all expatriate Indians in the UAE.
The India Club’s lead pookkalam designer and decorator is Mumbai-born Pansy Lobo. Having lived in Dubai for 25 years, Pansy has been creating pookkalams for the India Club for the last four years.
“Creating the pookkalam for the India Club is a highlight of my year, so I look forward to Onam for that. And every year I like to change the design and pattern and be innovative with my decoration. But usually I like to use white, orange, yellow and green colours to represent the Indian national colours,” Lobo says.
Lobo orders up to 15 kilograms of petals and leaves, enough for three pookkalams, from Eden Flowers, who supply Onam-tailored flowers imported directly from India.
Ayaz Khan of Eden Flowers says: “We usually experience about a 10 to 15 per cent spike in business when Onam comes around. Orange and yellow marigolds, Arabian jasmines and purple buttons sell the most, and we import the flowers from India specially for this.” n
