Onam 'pookkalam' goes online

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Onam, Kerala's most important festival, has taken a floral route to the virtual world of celebrations this year.

Malayalees sitting in any corner of the world can now log on to the Kerala tourism website to get a homely feel of the floral decking or 'pookkalam', the most colourful and striking symbol of the harvest festival, which commemorates the state's egalitarian past under the mythical King Mahabali, to be celebrated on Friday.

The flower-bed is made of 600 video clips about Kerala, ranging from the traditional Onam cuisine to the enchanting backwaters and from Ayurveda to the calm beaches of God's Own Country, a state tourism release said.

'Pookalam' is posted on website www.keralatourism.org [2].

Type www.keralatourism.org/pookalam/pookalam.php [3]. Every click on a petal in the 'pookalam', conceptualised and designed by Invis Multimedia, takes the visitor through scenic destinations, different tourism products, cultural events, traditional cuisines and social facets.

"Onam is the most important festival for Keralites and it invokes nostalgia in every Malayalee, especially those staying outside the state," state Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar said.

Apart from sharing scenes from the home state with non-resident Keralites through video clippings, the Government also wanted to take this unique experience to the whole world, especially to prospective visitors, he said.

The 'pookalam', also called 'Athapookalam' or 'Onapookalam', consists of a series of circular layers, believed to be representing different deities.

Starting from 'Atham', 10 days ahead of Onam, Keralites decorate their courtyards with 'pookalam' in rich and vibrant varieties of flowers.