The Festival of the Heart
There is something profoundly magical about Onam when celebrated at Adi Sankara Nilayam, Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF). At nine thirty in the morning, the courtyard of the sacred Melpazhur Mana buzzed with life.
The entire CIF family gathered close, and the air instantly filled with spirited ‘aarpu-vili’ (uplifting, energising, traditional Onam crowd cheer call/hurrah). The festivities officially commenced as our revered & beloved Swami Advayananda ji and Swami Sharadananda ji stepped forward to light the sacred lamp.
Rain, Rhythm, and Revelry
CIF Manager Sri Anil Pillai opened the morning with a warm welcome. He reminded everyone of the value of togetherness, teamwork and bonhomie, noting how blessed the CIF family truly is, to share this sanctuary of peace while wars, riots, and strife tear through the world outside. Swami Sharadananda ji followed with a short, heart-warming talk in Malayalam about Onam, inviting every single person to dive deep into the celebrations.
Thereafter, Swami Advayananda ji, unfolding the deeper spiritual current of the festival in English, explained how Emperor Mahabali was diligently pursuing Dharma, Artha, and Kama (among the four sacred Purusharthas), so Bhagavan took an Avatara as the divine dwarf Vamana to grant him Moksha. By making the king surrender his ego, the individual identity of the meritorious jiva dissolved entirely into Brahman, ascending to the transcendent abode of Sacchidananda, which is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. This is the highest grace, the granting of ultimate Liberation, wiping out all suffering by ending the non-apprehension of the Self that traps it in the endless wheel of samsara.
Then Manager Sri. Anil Pillai and Academic Director Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, on behalf of the entire CIF family, as Guru Dakshina, with reverence, presented Ona Kodis to Swami Advayananda ji & Swami Sharadananda ji, our beloved Swamijis, in whose protective love and care, the CIF family thrives.
Just then, the heavens opened up, showering ‘amrita’ directly into the central courtyard of the Melpazhur Mana as a sudden downpour.
Our revered Swamijis then presented Ona Kodis to each member of the CIF family one by one. As the rain poured, the spirit soared with more resonant ‘aarpu vili’, led brilliantly by the Human Resource Officer at CIF, our event compere Sri. Kalidas S.R, whose energy refused to drop for even a second.
The cultural performances started with ‘thiruvathira kali’ (the traditional Keralam folk dance where women move in graceful, circular formations around a lit brass lamp to celebrate unity and festivity), performed by the female staff, followed by the thunderous beats of ‘chenda-melam’ (Keralam percussion ensemble) and the vibrant energy of ‘puli-kali’ (Keralam folk art form where performers paint their bodies with vibrant tiger and leopard patterns and dance to drum beats). Not about to be left watching from the side-lines, our president, Swami Advayananda ji, joyfully stepped into the arena and danced right along with the ‘tigers’.
And now, let the games begin!
With the rain nudging us indoors, the proceedings smoothly shifted to the spacious Chidvilas auditorium under the watchful, benevolent eye of Swami Advayananda ji. The lemon spoon race kicked off the indoor games with an intensely competitive spirit, drawing enthusiastic participation from children, elders, staff, and Brahmacharins alike. Next came the blindfold zigzag walking competition, where participants had to navigate a minefield of paper cups stacked in a neat row on the floor.
Peppy music and hilarious commentary filled the hall as player after player veered wildly off track toward the walls or ended up dribbling the paper cups around in a manner that would have made Argentine football legend Lionel Messi proud. Too bad, the object of the game was to actually miss the paper cups while staying on course! While the grown-ups fared quite miserably, a little boy stepped up and breezed through the course like a shaolin monk, gliding past without displacing a single cup, making it look like a piece of cake, nonchalantly wondering what all the fuss was about. Musical chairs followed next, keeping the laughter rolling across age groups.
The sun broke through just in time to take the games back outside to the grounds in front of the Melpazhur mana for traditional Onam favorites like ‘vadam vali’ (tug-of-war) and ‘uriyadi’ (pot-breaking sport where blindfolded participants attempt to smash a hanging earthen pot filled with prizes using a stick, amidst distractions). Then things got adventurous with water sports. Rope walking across the pond proved to be an epic test of strength and balance that looked almost impossible, yet a victor ultimately emerged. The grand finale was a ferocious pillow fight where opponents sat precariously balanced on a trunk suspended right over the pond, going hammer and tongs at one another until one lost balance and took an unceremonious plunge into the water.
With that final splash, the Onam festivities 2026 at CIF drew to a close. By this point, our stomachs were officially rumbling, and the entire CIF family & visitors eagerly marched back to the Mana for a sumptuous Ona Sadya enjoyed to the fullest in the blessed presence of the Swamijis.
Farewell to the Sanctuary
As the afternoon light softened over the ancient eaves of the Melpazhur Mana, the joyous chaos gently gave way to a quiet, reflective warmth. Hearts full and spirits renewed by the sacred camaraderie, everyone gathered for final fond farewells, exchanging warm embraces and bright smiles before dispersing to their respective homes for the holidays. Carrying the lingering echoes of ‘aarpu-vilis’, the blessings of the Swamijis, and the enduring peace of the sanctuary, the CIF family departed, leaving the courtyard peacefully silent until the next gathering.
- Sailesh S
