V M Salgaocar
Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) recently celebrated
the festival of Onam at its campus in Raia. The colourful day-long festivities
were inaugurated by lighting of the lamp by Ajit M Gude, Advisor, V M Salgaocar
Corporation, and Irfan Mirza, Director/Principal of the institute.
The campus wore
a festive look with the lobby decorated with ‘Pookalam’, which is a traditional
flower arrangement and cultural music playing in the
background. The ladies draped themselves in sarees while the boys wore the
traditional ‘munndu’ and kurtas.
A student of
the first year, Tanvi Nayar, spoke about the significance of the Onam festival,
which was followed by a group dance performance. The highlight of the
celebrations was the Onam Sadhya or feast. This Sadhya traditionally comprises
of 26/24 or more vegetarian dishes and is served on a banana leaf. From crispy ‘upperi’, which are the much
loved banana chips, to the ‘avial ‘,which is a mixed vegetable preparation
cooked in coconut milk, to the delicious ‘payasam’ to end the meal, it was a
feast like no other.
