White indicates purity and freshness. The decor has been designed keeping these colours, which also makes the traditional attire of Kerala. In olden days , men and women used to wear Off-white and gold attire called Mundum Neriyathu. Gold also indicates the Harvest season of Nellu (rice) which looks like heaps of gold under the sun.
A soft furnishings collection inspired by Onam recently caught our eye. Onam is the Harvest festival of Kerala. It falls in the month of Chingam when the rains recede, the sun shines and the skies are clear. Visuals of hearty Sadya repasts, men and women clothed in traditional white (Kasavu) attire immediately come to mind. And Vinitha has encapsulated this Onam vibe beautifully in her new Thiruvonam collection. Let’s hear more about it from Vinitha herself!
Onam festivities – the inspiration for the collection
The Festival of Onam is celebrated with Hue and Pomp! There is a Pookalam (flower decoration), Thiruvathira dance, Pulikkali and many more activities that constitute the celebrations.
The Feast: Onam is incomplete without the traditional Feast called Onam Sadya. A variety of scrumptious dishes are prepared and consumed over a three-course rice meal, with two types of payasams on a banana leaf.
The colours of Onam
It is the vibrancy of all this, that LittleheavenDecor has tried to encompass into the Onam Collection. The golden hues of the harvested rice, the vibrant green of the rain fresh foliage, the pristine white of the thumba flower, the deep purple of vada malli flower and the grace of the malayali maidens swaying to the melody, in dance…
Flanked in gold and white, the pop of Brick Red has been added to bring in some modern elements which has been incorporated in the onam celebrations in the recent years. Women wear different colored blouses with the traditional saree – the same has been replicated in this Decor setting too. Did you notice the Manjadikuru inside copper Uruli, adding to the theme of the setting!
It is very exciting, as this is the first time that we are creating a portfolio of Onam. In previous years Diwali, Christmas were our highlights . During my childhood, our houses used to be decorated with seasonal flowers, coconut leaf buntings, earthen lamps and brass vessels reflecting the harvest spirit. The endeavour has been to recreate this within a modern urban household decor, retaining the hues, the memories to evoke a sense of nostalgia.
The Kasavu Kara on a cushion cover
The name means , Gold border. This is the weave and the most common design you will find in the Onam special Saree for women and Mundu for Men. Therefore, was a natural and immediate choice while designing this range.
The inspiration behind the ruffled runner
Onam is celebrated by all Keralites irrespective of religion. The Ruffles on the Runner, is inspired by the Njori (Gathers) on the traditional Christian Chatta and Mundu for women and the Kerala Saree pleats. A little nostalgic for me, as I used to gape in wonder the way my Ammachi (grandmother) used to drape it with such ease and carry off in style!
Sadya immortalised on a cushion cover
As the name suggests, the motifs on this cushion cover (and the photograph itself) is symbolic to the famous Onasadhya, where 26 different varieties of vegetarian dishes are served on Thooshanila (banana leaf for serving food)
The Vaadamalli flowers were also a source of inspiration
The names of the cushion covers in this Thiruvonam Collection has been named after the flowers that are used in the Pookalam (flower carpet) Vaadamalli is a purple flower which is a must, due to its vibrance and as it remains fresh for a long time. A few other names used are Mallipoo, Neelathaamara, Chethi, Pichi, Thumpapoo – all being inevitable flowers in Pookalam.
Text and Photographs: Vinitha George
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Would you like to see more of our Onam posts on this blog? We have picked our favourites for you!
