I am already internally calculating all the palada payasam I will overeat, so I must buy a minimum of ten extra glasses to drink again when I wake up post my Sadya-induced siesta.
Onam is the only time of the year that I actually eat a full vegetarian meal and don't count my carb- and sugar-induced calorie intake. All is forgiven until I stand on the weighing scale the next morning and realize I weigh the exact same kilos as a hippo. Then I'll be sad, but until the next morning hits, let me feast, feast, feast!
Growing up, Onam in Kerala meant dressing up and visiting my cousin's grandmother, who would lay out a feast of not just the Sadya but also fried chicken, fish, prawns, and every imaginable meat possible. Technically, that was a cheat Onam because it wasn't purely vegetarian.
But the texture of meat against all those vegetables, coconut oil-fried pappadams, and parippu—oh man, oh man, that was an emotion that just can't be described. If I had died and gone to heaven or hell after any of those meals, I would have died a very satiated and happy soul who would definitely not have taken rebirth.
On that note, Hridayam niranja Onashamsakal! May your sadya leaf never dry up, and may you drink liters and liters of payasam this Onam!
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