Raksha Bandhan, Onam festivity lends colour to Mumbai’s cityscape | Mumbai News – Times of India

MUMBAI: As the full moon of the holy month of Shravan approaches the sky Wednesday, a set of colourful cultural observances fills the calendar. The Malayalee festival of Onam will be celebrated Tuesday with feasting and the pookkalam, a large floral rangoli.
Wednesday is Raksha Bandhan which marks the bond between brother and sister as well as Narali Purnima, sacred to Koli fishers.
Large baskets of flowers were brought to CSMT railway station Monday night to prepare a large pookkalam in time for Onam morning Tuesday. The All Mumbai Malayalee Association does so each year to celebrate Onam, the annual homecoming of the mythological king Mahabali, said president Jojo Thomas.
The Onasadhya feast holds cross-cultural appeal in Mumbai. Vichu’s Palakkad restaurant at Four Bungalows, Andheri, has devised an elaborate menu of 21 Kerala delicacies for Onam. Beginning with vadai, pachadi, kalan, avial, sambar, rice, kootu curry, pal ada pradhaman, payasam, onto banana chips, sarkara upperi and ingi puli, the spread is priced Rs 800 for an individual meal and Rs 2,800 for family pack. The meal is served on a banana leaf.
Wednesday’s Shravan Purnima brings the popular festival marking the ageless bond between brother and sister. This year, Raksha Bandhan celebrations will span the following day August 31 given that the actual occasion is clouded by the Bhadra period that is deemed less favourable for auspicious ceremonies.
DrikPanchang almanac says the Purnima tithi begins at 10.58 am August 30 and ends at 7:05 am August 31. Much of August 30 is shadowed by Bhadra — only a small window opens at night for the ritual. The permissible timing for tying the silken thread on Raksha Bandhan is Pradosh kaal that spans 9.01-9.13pm August 30.
Rakhi manufacturers have created threads depicting the historic success of Chandrayaan-3. “In fact a popular WhatsApp forward that was doing the rounds on August 23 was that India has despatched the Chandrayaan like a rakhi as a gift for the moon ahead of Raksha Bandhan,” laughed Umesh Rustagi, director of Nehru Science Centre in Worli.
On Monday, little girls in Jogeshwari Market appeared fascinated by the choice of cartoon rakhis on display at streetside stalls. There was Spiderman and Harry Potter apart from the Nano car, Hanuman, Shin Chan and TV cartoon characters that first enticed girls before charming their brothers.
And the Koli community has adorned its boats with a new coat of paint and repaired its fishing nets ahead of Wednesday’s Narali Purnima, preparing to head out to sea after the monsoon hiatus.