With people of country grappling with the Covid pandemic, most of the festivals have taken a backseat this year.
The festival of Onam which is to be celebrated on August 31 will also be affected by the pandemic. For Malayalees, the celebration will be limited inside the homes as there will be no public celebration.
The festival Onam commemorates the return of mythical demon king Mahabali to see his beloved subjects at the beginning of 'Chingam', the first month of the Malayalam calendar, which falls on August 31.
The mythical ruler is traditionally welcomed with a carpet of flowers, popularly known as pookalam, in front of houses, and 'Onam Sadyas' (feasts).
As a precautionary measure Kerala government has instructed the people that the floral carpet be made with locally available flowers due to the risk the spread of Covid-19 from flowers brought from other regions.
