Onam celebrations at Kala Vikash Kendra in Cuttack on Sunday. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Sept. 9: The Malayali community paid a tribute to late actor Rajesh Khanna during the Onam celebration held at the Kala Vikash Kendra here today.

Singer Shayam Kumar sang a few hit numbers from Rajesh Khanna’s films. The artiste began with Ek ajnabi hasina se and followed it up with some of the timeless hits of the superstar who died recently.

“Roop tera mastana is one of the evergreen songs of Rajesh Khanna from the movie Aradhana and I have tried to pay a tribute to Kaka — the first superstar of the country — whose films have made him an immortal figure,” he said.

Several other cultural programmes were organised during the celebrations.

Women decked with flowers and sporting the mundu sang folk songs of Kerala while decorating the floor with floral designs known as pookalam.

“Pookalam is an artwork mainly done during Onam. It is a symbol of peace and prosperity. Usually, marigold and jasmine petals are used to make designs. Since Onam brings the community together, the elaborate flower pattern designed on the floor by Malayali women of all ages is also seen as a symbol of harmony and unity,” said Biju Mathews, a Malayali living in the city.

According to Mathews, for the past three years his family has been celebrating Onam with local residents in Cuttack. Over 500 Malayalis reside in the Millennium City and Onam provides an opportunity for them to celebrate the harvest festival with others.

“We have been celebrating Onam with so much enthusiasm in Cuttack for the last eight years. The festival is a symbol of peace and prosperity and most significantly celebrates the harvest season in Kerala,” said Mukund K. Menon, president of the Kerala Samajam.

“Just as in Kerala, Malayali people take part in the festivities here. We are also glad to have our Odia friends amongst us every year as they get involved in all rituals of the festival,” he said.

Apart from the cultural programmes, the community also organised a grand feast at the Cambridge School.