Dr. Madhu Nambiar
The Nair Society of Greater Washington (NSGW) hosted a vibrant and well-attended Onam festival on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at the Durga Temple in Virginia. Marking the first-ever Onam celebration in the Washington, D.C., area, the event drew a large crowd eager to participate in this traditional Kerala festival.
A highlight of the celebration was the Onam Sadhya, served on fresh banana leaves. Prepared by Suku Nair and his team from Aditi Gourmet, the Sadhya was a major attraction. The large fully dedicated volunteer team, led by Arun Ramakrishnan and Vinod Nair, ensured the meal was seamlessly served, with invaluable help from an experienced group, both from the committee and from the community including youth volunteers.
The festivities were complemented by a beautifully designed Pookalam (floral arrangement), created by a team led by Vidya Nair with additional contributions from committee and the community members and youth volunteers. Thank you to Murali Elambilan for arranging the flowers from Sri Siva Vishu Temple (SSVT).
The program began with a chenda melam and lighting of the lamp, followed by a prayer song sung by NSGW Bhajana Class students. This was followed by a welcome address from NSGW President, Sherli Nambiar. The chief guests for the event, Mr. Salil Sankaran and family, took part in releasing the Onam magazine, Parampara. The magazine’s editorial team included Abhilash Menon, Chandni Dinakaran, Hari Kurup and Sreejith Nair. We thank the other committee members, Simtha Menon, Ginu Unnikrishnan, Shekhar Harigovind, Prathibha, Ranjana Ramachandran, Priya Reji, Kutty Menon, Krishnakumar, Shaju Sivabalan, Hari Kurup, Rejeesh Malayath, and Dr. Madhu Nambiar for all their help and support in Parampara.
Cultural entertainment was a key feature of the event, with performances ranging from traditional dances to modern presentations. The entertainment program was coordinated by Gouri Raj and Geethu Nirmal, while stage management was handled by Gouri Raj and Shridevi Vaman. Adding to the festivities was the appearance of Maveli, portrayed by Jayshankar Karakulath, while the emcees Nisha Chandran, Smera Nair, and Savera Nair kept the event lively and engaging.
A first for NSGW, a Payasam competition was held, with judges Archana Thampi, Neethu Aravind, and Veena Dev Pillai tasked with selecting the best Payasam. The competition was coordinated by Rashmi Nambiar and was well-received by participants and attendees alike.
In addition to the cultural programs, trophies were awarded to winners of the NSGW National Chess competition, both rated and unrated categories, organized by Venkatesh Patil and Manoj Veliyaveetil, with youth volunteer Sidharth Harishanker.
Youth volunteers also ran a successful bake sale, coordinated by Abhilash Menon and Anil Mullacheri. Technology and publicity support for the event was handled by Suresh Menon, while raffle prizes were sponsored by The Essence. Tea, coffee, and snacks were served by John N’ Nair.
The front desk operations were efficiently managed by Ranjana Ramachandran, Priya Reji, Dipu, Sudha Kunhikrishnan, and youth volunteers. Sound and lighting were coordinated by Kutty Menon and Suresh Nair, while the stage and lighting setup was done by Vaman Kini, Advaith Vaman, Shridevi, Abhilash Nambiar, Satheerthan, Sreejith Nair, Shagish, Ginu Unnikrishnan, youth volunteers, and Dr. Madhu Nambiar.
Photography and videography were captured by Hari Murali, Satheerthan Nair and Shagish, preserving the memories of the grand event. Many volunteers, including Rajeesh Malayath, Shaju Sivabalan, Ratheesh Nair, Sreejith Nair, Reji Mohan, Vasanth, Biju Sreedharan, Ravi Saraswati, Shekhar, Suresh Menon, Vinod Menon, Prabish Pillai, Prakash Shashidhara, Anil Mullacheri, Ginu Unnikrishnan, Rajeev Nair, Satheerthan Nair, Abhilash Menon, Manoj Vellanore, Manoj Balakrishnan, Dr. Kunhikrishnan, Sagar Pillai, Pramod Mohan, Jineesh, Vaman Kini, Raghu Nambiath, Manoj Veliyavettil and others, contributed to making the celebration a huge success. A special thanks was extended to Mini Pillai from the Durga Temple for arranging the venue.
Mr. M.G. Menon, a prominent community figure, expressed his appreciation for the event and the efforts of the NSGW team. The evening concluded with a friendly vadamvali (tug-of-war) competition, adding an energetic and fun-filled end to a successful celebration.
Dr. Madhu Nambiar delivered the vote of thanks, emphasizing the hard work and dedication of all the volunteers and participants who made the Onam celebration a truly memorable event.
