An Onam Bull story

Mr Mahabali is in a pensive mood.

                  The sponsored annual holiday trip invitation to Kerala from the ever obsequious ‘beverages corporation’was intimated to him with more than a fervent prayer this year.The much anticipated arrival of the ‘spirit’ of Mahabali was the only hope to bring in the much needed cheer to the gloomy covid days. Mahabali sat brooding as his limelight was snatched away by a lasso wielding cowboy from the south, strutting a buffalo. Once upon a time Bali too was relegated down south by a certain dwarf incarnation of the Lord .This doppelganger of a neighbour needed to be stopped in his tracks before he could carry out more of his sadistic rodeo stunts on the people. Mahabali to counter this ‘Buffalo Bill’ menace had brought in the ‘asura’ recipe of ‘porotta and beef dry fry’ to his beloved people. This ambrosia intoxicated malayali slowed down the progress of Bill as his ‘yama’ha vehicle often disappeared and got digested into thin air. Mortality rate in Kerala is an anomaly compared to the rest of the country during these testing times.The beef eaters of this state guard the citizens, a much nobler pursuit than the beefeaters who guard the tower of England .Most Gods are smart enough to select a brand listed in the ‘endangered species’ while selecting their vehicle of choice. Unlike the cow, the buffalo will always be vetoed the divinity tag for superficial reasons. Even the dark complexioned glamorous cowboy Lord Krishna, was never pictured in a frame, grazing buffaloes. The British legacy did leave some indelible hoof marks here. How dare they ‘blacken’ our thought process?

                  The concept of Mahabali cuts across all religion in the state and symbolizes prosperity, peace and good governance.Kerala is sprinkled by a healthy mix of all religions living in perfect symbiosis, much akin the ‘kerala sadya’ served on a plantain leaf comprising of a million side dishes. The myriad of colours, tastes and textures that explode in one’s mouth invokes Annapoorna, the goddess of food. 

Sadly she is a vegetarian and a teetotaller.

 To get her betrothed to Bachus (the roman/italian god of wine) for the sake of convenience is a tough task ,as the nation is still shuddering at the after effects of a similar international matrimonial alliance between the two nations. Food and beverage were the only subjects which proved to be non-controversial and attention grabbers, all through the history of the world. Gods played around with this weakness of man. Jesus fed a multitude with five loaves and two fish, he went further and turned water into wine. 

                Mahabali wanted more than a miracle to keep his flock from getting ‘dispirited’. Even the once powerful ‘God of the good times’ was driven out of the country unceremoniously by his people without an iota of gratitude.It was going to be a challenging task ahead to keep the people in their right spirits.  He was an asura king but still a God in his own right. ’Spirituality’ and religion was what they usually major in growing up. Playing to one’s strength, Mr Maveli decides to conjure up a religion this year, which would be universally accepted and anoint himself as the Supreme deity. Like any ambitious king he wanted to spread his reach across India and later world dominance.

                Mahabali thundered….”herewith, I would be the supreme commander of the Food and the Beverage department spanning Trailokya (three worlds), accommodating all the existing Gods and goddesses connected to this portfolio as ministers in my cabinet”. The Gods up in the higher echelon cared two hoots about such a trivial proclamation and let it go uncontested. The first tricky situation was to decide the capital of this new empire. Operational ease suggested that he wanted it close to Pathalam and it should be a place that reflected the ethos of his netherworld down south. On both counts Kerala seemed to fit the bill perfectly except for a small hiccup. The asura (demon) king didn’t want to enrage the Gods above as he was eyeing God’s own country. A plebiscite would certainly result in his favour as he knew which side the people were on .After all blood is thicker than water. 

                          Bali who once ruled over Kerala was known for his generosity and benevolence. Perhaps... much before history was recorded ,this place might have been a melting point of cultures, religions, cuisines and ideas on which asuras and devas used to debate on the virtues of coconut oil. The fragrance of the shores bought in the arabs,chinese and later the marauding fleets from the west.

 An all encompassing umbrella was offered as protection to the kaleidoscope of refugees seeking asylum in this paradise. The palm leaf umbrella or olakuda is an icon associated with Onam and Mahabali to this day. The trickle down effect of benevolence permeating into the Malayali psyche and their thirst for new pastures makes Kerala the ideal place for Mahabali to start off his campaign this Onam. A plethora of gods representing even the simplest morsel around the world would find their perch in this mega religion. Their interaction and fusion will definitely make this world a bit more tasteful and exciting for times to come. 

                         Off late I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen, aspiring to be called for duty in the mother of all kitchens one day 'inshallah'. To cook for the ‘Lord of Food’ in Pathalam. I hate to brand myself as an agnostic because I have faith. When I plunge my teeth into my favourite porotta/beef curry, the whole world stops spinning and that poor ‘Yama’ha sublimates itself into my one God for the fleeting second. 

                      This Onam as we sit for the sadya let us invoke Mahabali’s spirit, presiding over the dining table of each soul on this planet, dining alongside the long list of Gods and Goddesses. Let there be peace and harmony in the world . Let there be good food on the table!!!!! Let the carnival begin!!! Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!