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A review of three Onam celebrations: KANJ; Bridgewater Temple; Guruvayurappan Temple

J Panicker Published on 29 September, 2013
A review of three Onam celebrations: KANJ; Bridgewater Temple; Guruvayurappan Temple

Onam Review – KANJ – 9/28/13 

Onam was celebrated by the Kerala Association of New Jersey, at the North Brunswick High School auditorium, New Jersey, on Saturday, September 28, 2013, from 12-06.30 pm.  The function was sold out and about 1,000 people attended, per the organizers.

The function over all was excellent. 

The check-in (welcome desk) was slow and a bit confusing.   Everybody seemed to ask the other as to what to do.  A senior team member should have been present at the check-in desk to make instant decisions to help check-in (about 1,000 people)  much smoother.

The décor of arch, carpeting, etc. were good, created a festive look, but was not really matching to the Onam theme.  The pookalam was very good as well, looked very natural but also looked casual and amateur. 

The Onam feast was excellent.  It was catered.  The dinner plate was the right type with several compartments and the food service was great.  The dining hall was  excellent. There was ‘pulissery” in the menu, but no kalan, which actually is an indispensable part of Onasadya.  Also, there was spiced “sambharam” (very diluted yogurt ), but no yogurt.  Plain yogurt (not thick) is the norm.

The chendamelam was excellent and very impressive!  It was very nice to see the three young ladies participating among men!  Way to go, ladies!

The Mahabali procession followed – the Mahabali was very good, however, the procession lacked appeal due mainly to short narrow passage and through rather dark area. 

On the stage were a “thousand” people and this very much diluted the appeal and effect of the great King Mahabali.  King Mahabali should have been given utmost prominence and exclusivity and treated as such.  The lamp lighting could have been by a single person like one lady in traditional Kerala outfit or a young teenager girl, instead of the many. The team members will, after all, get other opportunities to show off.   

The kaikottikali was excellent, very nice song selection, good rhythm, very good  performance. 

The speeches by the president, convener, congressman Chivkula and others were good.  It was very relieving to see there were no long speeches, though there were several.  KANJ is otherwise synonymous to unwanted long speeches.  

The song “ thiruvonapulariyil” was excellent, a very good song perfect to the occasion.

The “spandana” dance, “Thillana fusion” was stunning and incredibly great!  The choreography, the rhythm and performance were just amazing!

The “Radha Krishna” dance was outstanding!  This, kind of fusion dance, was very well choreographed, non-traditional and distinct costume and moves, really fabulous!  However, this was a repeat, which was performed only last weekend, elsewhere.  But it was very much worth seeing again.  Krishna’s performance was especially noteworthy. 

The very nostalgic song  “katte katte nee ….”  by a boy and a girl was excellent.  Very well sung.

The dance by Mayura group was fabulous, really great, very well choreographed, very well performed, very good combination theme. The male dancer, Janak, especially presented a fantastic performance.  It would have added a lot more to the effect if he had better hair, a bit longer, and some head decoration, like a light crown or something. His head and hair looked a bit too plain and casual, considering his and others’ costume.  

The cinematic dance by Nina Philip’s group was very good. 

The skit that followed was excellent and quite hilarious!  All performed very well and especially Hari as king gave a fantastic performance.  He very much reminded me of actor “Jayaram”.  The audio was at times too loud and too much echo, though. 

Franco Seven’s music session was very good.  All the singers, Karthika Shaji, Joshi, Janak, etc., all gave very good performance.  Manoj George’s violin also was very very good.   Suma Nair, “The Nightingale of New Jersey” sang “Naina Barse ….” of Latha, one of my most favorites, which was sooooo very nice, needless to say.  She is just so unbelievable!  There were a lot of pauses, breaks and interruptions during the session.  The sound system also was acting up.  To add to that there was some kind of burning like smell and many left the hall, concerned. 

The program concluded at 06.30 pm. 

The MC Praveena Menon did a good job.  It would have been nice if she tried to interact with the audience a bit less and more to move on to the next item. 

The sound system was good, but too loud at times and a lot of echo. 

There was no program menu, which would have been very helpful to all.

There was no coffee break.   Coffee and snacks were available in another area.  The snacks, the service and availability were very good. 

Overall the whole function went very well.  6 ½ hours was a bit too long though.  

KANJ - There was a huge amount of campaigning, publicity and advertisement to promote this event, perhaps the most ever, and consequently, no wonder, the event got sold out.  Such a large number of people showed up with a lot of expectations, as this was the crown jewel of the Onam season finale, but the crown jewel turned out to be just another jewel as the function turned out to be just another function, like all others.  There were other functions locally and most of them performed equally well, except in number. The attendance size shows the support the Kerala community gives to KANJ. As the actor, Samuel L Jackson said a few days ago to Obama, “stop trying to relate and be presidential”,  KANJ should act more like a  leader and try to be distinct!   This was a very good function indeed, but nothing extraordinary or anything to be excited about, much contrary to all the hype.  Per PM Manmohan Singh, Indians have to learn to think big and different!  Look at Praveena Menon’s group’s Radha Krishna dance – a total deviation from conventional forms!  KANJ should think like that. 

KANJ is the largest of all Kerala Associations in North America, per the organizers.  KANJ should not be like other organizations and should act like the most prestigious and highest profile Kerala organization in the world, because they are!  They could have presented a very distinct, different, unique and comprehensive show as they have all the perfect ingredients, instead of following a stereotypical formula. KANJ has to be a lot more innovative. 

Presently, there is abundant talent in New Jersey, easily available just for the asking.  There is no excuse for not doing any better at all.   I am happy to note, there is, lately, a lot of new high energy blood infused into KANJ - able, efficient and enthusiastic people.  The entire Kerala community of New Jersey look up to KANJ and the overwhelming sold out showing is proof enough. KANJ should be able to meet their expectations.  KANJ should be a leader and trend setter, not a follower.  Can’t we have a KANJ New Year party, a Miss KANJ Ball, a KANJ cruise, a major KANJ Sports Day, a KANJ camping night, etc.  I am glad to see several points, which I had suggested a decade ago, when I was the chairman of KANJ, are gradually and slowly being implemented.  KANJ is definitely evolving, but very very slowly, though.  KANJ is like a sleeping giant, unaware of their potentials and it is time to wake up and be a pioneer and lead ! 

My hearty and sincere best wishes to KANJ.

J Panicker

 

Onam Review –  Bridgewater Temple

Onam was celebrated by the Kerala community at The Venkateswara Temple at Bridgewater, New Jersey,         ( HTCS – The Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of USA)  on Saturday, Sep. 21, between 11.30 am and 4 pm.  About 400 people attended.

The function overall was fantastic !   The whole program was complete in itself and every item was superb !  My sincere and hearty Kudos to the organizers, volunteers and performers !

The program started with a chendamelam for almost half an hour which was excellent.  Then there was a song by children “ Maveli Vaneedum kalam”, which was good. 

Then there was a short skit depicting the encounter between Vamana and Mahabali, directed by Mini Sankar.   This was amazing, excellent and I was really wonder struck by the fabulous performance of all.  Very well planned, directed, conducted and performed.  The choreography, costume and the comprehensive coverage of the whole event in such a short scene was very very –very impressive !

Next was a poem recital by Manoj Kaipilly, written by Bala Andrapalliyal, which was good.

The Mahabali’s annual visit (procession) followed, with the escort of thalapoli and “poove poli” , which was excellent !  Jaywant Nambiar, as Mahabali, put up a fabulous show !

The kaikottikali was next, which was excellent !  All performed very well and was one of the best I have seen.

The “poovili” song was very good.  The “Sabdam” dance was excellent !

The song ‘ thumbi kinnaram” by the father / daughter duo, Jayshankar & Lakshmi was excellent.  Let’s hope this duo will present us more opportunities !

“Aranne aranne” dance was excellent – however, the tiger skin costume was a mismatch to the theme, I believe !  The dance  “Confluence” by Malini & Praveena was very good. The song by Manoj Kaippilly was good. “Onathumbikal” dance by Subha Rajeev group was very good as well.  The Bollywood dance from Race2 by Malini Nair’s group was excellent. The song by Siji & Kalyani also was very good.

The Kurathi dance also was very good. The costume did n’t look like the right one, though.

The cinematic dance by Rekha Pradeep’s group was very very good.  Really great ! The song by Anjana Nair was good.

The “Radha Krishna – The Eternal Love” dance by Praveena Menon’s group was excellent – a bold deviation from the traditional costume, colors and performance !  Really great !  Krishna’s performance especially was wonderful !  Hope to see a lot more from this very talented young lady !

Praveena Menon's group dance - "Radha Krishna - Eternal Love"

Chennai Express dance by Malini Nair’s group was excellent !  The thundering applause was worth noticing.  Jay Maniyil’s performance looked cute and sweet.

The song by Jayaprakash  & Subramanian was good. 

The comedy skit “Veendum oru theranjeduppu kalathu” was good, but could have been a lot better. The settings were very nice & appropriate.  All the performers did very well.  However, there was not much “comedy” in this “comedy skit” to laugh about.  There were a few punch lines with the news paper reader and that was all.  The skit had to be incorporated with a lot more humor, punch lines and a more funny end.  All performers were good, but seemed helpless and stuck with poor story / script / dialogue / screen play.   

It was very pleasing to see Ananthan, the ever dedicated volunteer, getting recognized.

Veena Menon expressed vote of thanks to all concerned and the program ended at about 04.30 with the Indian National Anthem.  Actually, the  American National Anthem has to be sung first, even if only one anthem, if at all, before any other National Anthem.  

Manoj Kaipilly did a good job as MC.

The sound system was good, however, the audio of the kaikottikali towards the end of the song was blasting due improper recording.   Also the mike line was performing poorly when Prema Andrapalliyal  and Veena Menon were speaking and not much was clearly audible.

The food & service was excellent.  The food service plate was the best with many compartments and perfectly suited to serve a feast like this with many items.  The payasam by Mini Devdas was very good, as well.

It was great and very helpful to see a printed program list.  An additional page could have been added mentioning details of all food contributors, volunteers and their valuable help, as the hard working volunteers have necessarily to be recognized in some way.

 The Temple hall was and has been overcrowded since a few years now and has been unsuitable to accommodate a rather large function like this.   Also, this hall is not designed, equipped or configured for a large gathering like this.   The new hall will be ready only in 2015 and until then, no matter how hard the organizers try, it’s not going to get any better, I presume.   

Overall the whole function was a near perfect show and all program items were precisely on time. !  The food, food service, the entire cultural program, everything was superb !  The organizers have clearly taken utmost interest to make this a complete & flawless function and they did succeed !  The function lacked nothing.  Considering this is all by volunteers, it is even more impressive.  A day very well spent and every minute fully worth and the organizers and volunteers can all be really very proud of themselves for presenting such a fabulous show.

Number of attendees – The number of attendees I mention is an estimated number, which an average member of the audience might feel.  More than once, the organizers have informed me the number is larger, which is very likely, as only the organizers can  have a realistic idea of the number.  If 100 people left and another 100 came in, the total number will be 200, but a member of the audience will not be monitoring and will still feel the effective number as 100.  The organizers can actually, later on, if they so feel, announce the actual number or inform me before I publish the review.

I sincerely thank the so many who have expressed compliments and appreciation for my impartial and neutral reviews.  That is real encouragement.  

 

HATCC Onam – Review 

The Kerala Community celebrated Onam at the Guruvayurappan Temple (HATCC – Hindu American Temple and Cultural Center) in Morganville, New Jersey, on Saturday, Sep. 14, 2013, between 10.30 am and 3 pm.  About 500 people attended.  

The function over all was excellent !  

The program started with a Mahabali procession with chendamelam and thalapoli.  The Mahabali however looked like needed a significant make over and substantial improvement.  The chendamelam was very good. The thalapoli was good, but participants were few in number.   But that we had the procession was commendable indeed.  Then there was the prayer.  The kaikottikali followed and that was excellent.  Suma Nair, the Nightingale of New Jersey,  sang two songs and needless to say, were superb and to say superb is just an understatement !  Her singing talent is amazing, distinct !   A dance (koladi kali) followed by 5 small girls, was good, looked needed a bit more practice. Then another dance by small children with green backs was there which needed a lot more coordination and practice. I don’t know how many understood what was going on at the stage at the time.  Then there was a dance by 6 girls, which was excellent.  The songs by children were all just about OK, except the last one ( Rithvik Rajesh ? ) which was very good.  Malini Nair group’s  Mahishasura Mardini dance was excellent.  Good song selection, rhythm, good performance, though one of the dancers tripped twice.   The last item was Thillana dance by Divya Nair’s group of 3 young girls !  This was a fabulous performance and all the 3 girls put up a very good show, especially Madhavi who seemed to be born to dance !  Rightly so, they received a thundering applause from the audience !   

Dr. Krishnan, a legend by himself, seemed finally contended, in his speech this year, seeing so many people present and seeing a comprehensive program well organized and presented.  He seemed to feel his many years’ request to all Malayalees to come forward is finally bearing fruit, after all !   

It was so very nice and very thoughtful of Dev to ask all the volunteers to come to the stage, introduce them to the audience and express profound appreciation.  I can’t think of any item more important than recognizing and appreciating the volunteers !  I would say it is a 1000 times more important than anything else at the whole function !  At most Indian functions, volunteers are assumed to be faceless, invisible and nonexistent !   Volunteers are the backbone, the foundation, the pillars of any function !  Imagine any function without volunteers !

The MC, Sujatha Kuruvakkad, did a good job.  The sound system also was reasonably good.  It would be nice if we had a much better, larger and prominent pookalam at the entrance of the hall, next to the welcome desk.  Pookalam is a major factor of Onam.  

The food was excellent.  It was nice and kind of the Temple to provide rice and sambar.  The sambar, however, needed some real improvement.  The food service was excellent.  The food service inside the hall ( really such a beautiful hall ) made a big difference, compared to last time !  The plates, however, would have been better if larger with more compartments.

The welcome desk was good.  A large sign “welcome desk” would have been nice.  At  least one adult, a rather well known person, should be seated there, even if others could be minors.  It would be a good idea to display      “ all visitors please register here”.  This will help collect more contact info from all attendees. 

Seniors - Many seniors have difficulty standing in long lines and waiting long time to get food.  Here is a suggestion (per Dev’s request)  – Make an announcement, before the food service begins, that seniors will have priority in taking food throughout the service and they don’t have to stand in line.  

The program list was published late and came by email only after the function began, and would be nice if published at least 2 days before the function.  Also, it would be better if all the volunteers wore a badge instead of a name tag. 

Aji’s pictures were very nice. 

It was especially nice to note and feel the true Onam spirit there, all in good cheers and enthusiastic to interact and socialize with all !  

Overall, the function went very well and was a big leap forward compared to the last one.  Really, a day well spent !    The volunteers all did a phenomenal job and should all be proud of themselves ! 

J  Panicker,

New Jersey

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Dr. Asha Gangadharan 2013-10-01 03:53:52
Great, Janarda Ettan, your Onam reviews, your detailed narration of all events!! 
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