Kumari celebrates festival on a low key

According to D Gopalakrishnan, member, Nair Community Welfare Association, Kanniyakumari, normally the festivity sees a lot of people visiting neighbouring Kerala and a lot travelling to Kanniyakumari which was missing this time. The tenth day of the festival on Saturday marked Thiru Onam and houses could be seen decorated with ‘Athapookalam’ (floral decoration) in different hues.

Clad in traditional dresses, many visited their relatives and enjoyed a sumptuous Onasadya, a feast with rice, sambar and twelve varieties of vegetables and ‘payasam’ on banana leaves. “Many rued missing out on ‘Thiruvathira kali’, a traditional outdoor dance performed especially during Onam days,” Gopalakrishnan said.

C Ajith Kumar, Superintendent, Padmanabhapuram Palace, when contacted, said it is the third consecutive year that the palace is kept closed to the public owing to COVID restrictions. Normally, during this festive occasion, about 2,000 to 3,000 visitors throng the palace against normal attendance of about 500 on every unseasonal day. Normally, the palace would be open to revellers for three days from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., during Onam.

An elated florist from Thovalai market, Makesh, said prices of flowers jacked up with buyers from Kerala making considerable purchases.