Schools celebrate Onam with pomp and novelty

Kochi: School campuses in the city turned colourful and vibrant as Onam celebrations were conducted full-fledged with pomp and novelty on Friday. Students and teachers in traditional attire took part in various competitions, including Athapookalam, Thiruvathira, Onapattu, Vallapattu, Onakkali, musical chair, tug-of-war,in schools.
Many institutions ensured participation of parents and grandparents in the celebrations to strengthen their bonds with the students.

The celebration at Global Public School (GPS), Thiruvaniyoor, on Friday witnessed a unique ‘chenda melam’ as it was performed by five students Advait Parameswaran, Suraj S Namboothiri, Dakshin S Namboothiri, Abhinav Parameswaran, Darshin S Namboothiri and their 67-year-old grandmother Jayashree P Namboothiri.
Jayashree, executive director of Sreedhareeyam Group in Koothattukulam, has been a ‘chenda’ student for more than a year and she performed ‘panchari melam’ with her grandchildren for around 25 minutes at the school.
GPS students also made ‘pookalam’ using dry leaves, sticks, fibre, fruits, roots, cotton, husks; sawdust and ash.
Smrithi School for Children with Special Needs, Kaloor, along with Elder Forum (Sr Citizens) celebrated Onam with pomp and gaiety. Various traditional cultural programmes and a skit on ‘how a mother explains Onam to her child’ was performed by children.
The whole campus of Rajagiri Public School, Kalamasserry, wore a festive look with children in traditional and colourful attire.
The highlights of ‘Onanilavu 2023’, the celebrations at Assisi Vidyaniketan Public School, Kakkanad, was a cooking competition involving food items made of tapioca.
Onam celebrations at TocH Public School, Vyttila, scheduled to be held on Friday, had to be cancelled as Toc H Institutions’ director and treasurer K K Mathew passed away on Wednesday.
“The theme of the Onam celebration was ‘Grameena Chanda’. We have decided to conduct the same on the occasion of Kerala Piravi on November 1,” said school principal Juby Paul.
Some of the schools in the city also organized visits by students to oldage homes .