More than 1,000 members of New Zealand's Kerala community celebrated Onam in Auckland on Saturday.
Onam, which Malayalis observe over a 10-day period during the southern Indian state's harvest season, typically falls sometime between mid-August and mid-September.
The festival began on Friday, 6 September, this year, and will wrap up on Sunday, 15 September.
In addition to its role as a harvest festival, Onam also honours the supposed return from the netherworld of Kerala's beloved mythical king, Mahabali.
Onam celebrations in Kerala typically foster a deep sense of community and belonging among its residents.
Irrespective of religious or cultural background, people take part in the festival by crafting flower rangolis, known as pookkalam, in front of their homes.
Of the festival days, the 10th day - Thiruvonam - is the most significant.
Sadhya, a feast of 25-27 dishes, reflects Kerala's rich culinary diversity, with tastes ranging from sweet to spicy. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
This year, the Auckland Malayali Samajam organized a celebration at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre, featuring a traditional vegetarian feast known as sadhya, along with cultural performances and a music mega show featuring artists from India.
Sadhya, a feast of 25-27 dishes, reflects Kerala's rich culinary diversity, with tastes ranging from sweet to spicy.
Traditionally served on a banana leaf, the feast includes parboiled red rice, various side dishes, savouries, pickles and desserts, all presented in a specific order.
Rice is usually placed on the lower side of the leaf, followed by other items.
Simmy George has been preparing sadhya feasts in Auckland since 2014. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
"We are expecting around 1500 people for the sadhya," said Simmy George, a chef and caterer who has been preparing the feast in Auckland for 10 years.
Sadhya starts with parippu, a curry made from small gram and ghee, followed by sambar, a vegetable stew that can be made with a variety of vegetables.
Some of the side dishes include avial (a mix of vegetables, coconut paste and green chillies), olan (pumpkin and red grams in coconut milk), thoran, upperi (deep-fried banana chips), pappadams, pickles (lemon and mango) and kichadi (cucumber or ladyfinger in curd, seasoned with mustard, red chillies and curry leaves in coconut oil).
George said it was important to use seasonal vegetables in the sadhya preparations.
"Many ingredients come from India in frozen form, but I've tried to source most of the vegetables from local markets in Auckland," he said.
Sadhya differs from everyday Kerala cuisine by being strictly vegetarian and offering a broader range of dishes.
Traditionally served on a banana leaf, the feast includes parboiled red rice, various side dishes, savouries, pickles and desserts, all presented in a specific order. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Sweet dishes also hold a special place in the celebration.
"We have two kinds of payasams: ada pradhaman and palpayasam," George said.
Ada pradhaman a signature Onam dessert, is made with rice dumplings (ada), jaggery, coconut milk and cardamom.
"The delicate texture of the rice dumplings combined with the rich and creamy coconut milk, sweetened with jaggery, creates a truly indulgent and flavourful dessert," he said.
Preparing a sadhya is not without its challenges.
"You cannot prepare anything too early as it may spoil before being served," George said.
George and his team, mostly community volunteers, began their preparations on 6 September, cooking overnight to ensure freshness.
"That's the beauty of an Onam sadhya - you cook as a community, unlike the typical situation where only one or two people handle the kitchen," he said.
Auckland's Malayali community wear traditional attire to celebrate Onam. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Mebin John, secretary of the Auckland Malayali Samajam, echoed George's sentiment about the community aspect of Onam.
"Onam is a bridge that connects all Malayalis worldwide," he said. "It's more of an emotion than just a festival."
John noted that volunteers from different parts of Auckland came together to help prepare the sadhya.
"When you talk about Onam, sadhya is one of the most essential elements of the celebration, so we tried our best to provide a delicious meal to the community," he said.
Onam celebrations are also being held in other parts of New Zealand.
Events are planned in Nelson on Saturday, organized by the Nelson Malayalee Association at Hope Community Church, and in Wellington at the Indian Association Hall in Kilbirnie, hosted by the Wellington Malayalee Association, the same day.
In Christchurch, the celebrations took place on 24 August 2024, organized by the Christchurch Kerala Association.
Robin Babu, president of the Auckland Malayali Samajam, expressed a desire to expand Onam celebrations to other communities in New Zealand.
"Onam is a festival that connects people from different communities in Kerala, and we want the same to happen here in New Zealand," he said.
"We have the sadhya, dances and songs, and we want our wider community to enjoy all of that."
