What would you ask Mahabali ?
Mahabali, our dearest King, who visits us every year during Onam. All the 10 day preparations are to welcome and relive his prosperous times. He seemed to have given his subjects heaven on earth, which even made the heavenly abodees jealous, to banish him to the netherlands. What a pity! May be then, too, we mallus as we are dearly reffered, had that leg- pulling habit of ours. The malayalis are known to have this characteristic of not appreciating others' progress. He would invaroably have a comment “ha that’s nothing” which negates all the efforts of the other person.
Mahabali comes only once a year, eager to meet all of us. Wants to see the pookalams which we were progressively making from attam day. The special pooja some of us do with Thrikakarapan on the utradam day. All through these the jars of achappams, kozhalappams, unniyappams which gets filled and promptly gets emptied, he loves that pace. Makes sure that he supervises the onakali with usual wadamvali(tug of war), pandu kali(coconut leaves ball play), pakida( our version of chess) and such. Then, make sure all of us get the sadya with 26 items, and with that palada pradaman, sambar, and aviyal with the right tempering. Then adjusting those awkward mundus while you are in sadya coma, just to get up for that piping, chaya, and pazhampori later near sunset.
He might be even arranging touchings( our word for alcohol accompaniments) for the famous sessions as and when it gets dark.
I wonder, though, if he would be asked …… entha ethra tadhichattu? — why are you fat, you seems to have put on from last year. He is always depicted as a round fellow with awkward moustach and carrying his big ola kuda( coconut leaves umberalla). As per Wikipedia, when he was pushed by Vamana avatar of Vishu, he was less rotund. Great food in patala seemed to have added some layers,but that’s none of our concern. But how does he feel away from us? There could be one thing we could enquire and help him with.
The famous comment anyone sees you have to make when they see you after sometime.
U seems to have put on
Or
Y seem to have lost ur colour?
Never have I had a enquiry on my health but these…
He, as he is benevolent, might be ignoring it. But isn’t that atrocious? we ask him that when he visits once in a year….
ya
