Staff at a Seaton care home treated residents to a day of Indian festivities and food in celebration of the festival of Onam.
Four carers at The Seaton home brought in home-cooked Indian dishes and shared Indian songs and dances with colleagues and residents.
Greshma Gireesh, Jaicymol John, Jomit Joseph and Jithesh Balakrishnan wore traditional dress to celebrate the Keralan festival, which pays tribute to the homecoming of King Mahabali and the harvest season.
Southern Healthcare administrator Kelly Boweren said: “Our colleagues, who joined us from India, wanted to share some of their cultural festival of Onam with us. They put together a movie-style presentation to explain the festival and they shared songs, dances, and food with us. It was a truly lovely afternoon.”
Onam continues for ten days, with several rituals assigned to each day. People rise early to wash, deep clean their homes, decorate rooms with flowers and lights, and paint intricate designs on their front doors.
Onam Sadhya or Onasadya is a major part of Onam celebrations, featuring more than 26 dishes prepared with the help of all the family members and eaten from a banana leaf.
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