Members of the Malayali community take part in cultural programmes to mark Onam at Kala Vikas Kendra in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Sept. 29: Members of the Malayali community have observed the festival of Onam with much pomp and grandeur here.

This year, the community feast organised at Cambridge School by Cantonment road, was the centre of attraction.

More than 12 varieties of traditional food were prepared yesterday on the occasion of the festival.

An organiser said two master chefs from Kerala were engaged to prepare the delicacies.

“This time, we were successful in uniting people from various communities by organising a lavish feast,” said Biju Mathews, a member of the Malayali community.

Earlier, the celebrations had started with a series of cultural programmes at Kala Vikas Kendra, where the women sporting the mundu, a traditional Malayali attire, sang songs and decorated the floor with floral designs.

Basically, the art work called “Pookalam” is done mainly during Onam. Later, a boat race, called vallam kali in Malayalam, was also enacted on the stage.

However, it was the oppana dance performed by women and children that the audience appreciated the most.

“It was for the first time that I attended such celebrations in Cuttack. We are fortunate that people of various religions took part in the Onam celebration that is now being celebrated in a grand manner in the city,” said Amit Kumar, one of the audience.