The Flavours of Onam

Delectable Delhi

- Vernika Awal

The skies over Delhi have been heavy with rain, casting a grey melancholy across the city. Yet, in the midst of this gloom, the festive season has arrived like a burst of colour—a reminder that celebration has a way of softening even the harshest days.

Among these festivals, Onam has steadily found its place in the capital, with the Sadya—its grand vegetarian feast—becoming a gathering point for memory, culture, and joy.

Onam, Kerala's annual harvest festival, carries the story of King Mahabali—the beloved ruler believed to return to visit his people on Thiru Onam—and it thrives on an ethos of togetherness. In Kerala, religion, caste, and status dissolve in its embrace; what remains is love, food, and the spirit of equality.

That essence finds its way even into Delhi's bustling lanes, where communities gather over banana leaves spread wide, awaiting a feast that is not just eaten but experienced.