Jewellers make floral pattern of precious stones for Onam in Kerala

Thrissur (Kerala), Sep 2 (ANI): A glittering floral pattern made of gold, pearls and precious stones has specially been designed to celebrate the harvest festival Onam at Thrissur in on Wednesday.

A well-known jewellery group, Jos Alukkas creates such floral pattern every year, though with some innovation in Kerala. This year they have added a few diamond studs to add to the sparkle.

"Our designers in the showroom have created a golden 'pookalam' (floral pattern) and 'thrikaraapan' (Mahabali) on the occasion of Onam. We have used about six kilograms of gold, pearl, emeralds, traditional Kerala-style ornaments and Singapore diamonds," said Tony E, Manager, Jose Alukkas jewellery showroom.

The pattern is believed to bring good fortune to the showroom and increase sales during the festival.he pattern took three designers and over three days to complete.

Onam, a harvest festival, is celebrated in Kerala when young girls and women make flower patterns called "Pookalam" in local parlance to welcome the mythical King Mahabali.

Onam recalls the story of mythical demon king Mahabali who created a kingdom in what is now Kerala.

The festival falls during the month of Chingam (August-September as per the Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Malayalam calendar and lasts for ten days.

Traditionally celebrated as a harvest festival, mythologically it is linked to Malayalee-Hindu folktales.By Juhan Samuel (ANI)