Thiruvananthapuram:
Onam is Kerala's harvest festival and the tenth day has always been synonymous with the traditional vegetarian meal, eaten on banana leaves.
For the Ambadi family in Thiruvananthapuram, Onam means a much-cherished yearly family reunion, with nine of their 14 family members making their way to the capital to celebrate Onam.
Dressed in traditional sarees and mundus with the golden kasavu, the excitement is palpable as several members bring traditional food for the festival meal.
"Last year, I missed the Onam and there was no way I would miss it this year. They would torture me with pictures of food and each other on WhatsApp," says Devi Santosh, a student of Delhi University, dressed in tradtional attire.
But following tradition, the family first lit a lamp and offered the meal to the gods in a prayer room, before each member sat to down for a meal of 15 dishes.
Onam in Kerala, with its 10-day-long celebration, has transcended religious and class barriers.
An Ambadi family member, senior journalist A Vinod, says, "Onam underlines the strength and unity of the family in every Kerala household, and also the message that we are one. That's what Onam means to us."
As the family sings traditional Onam songs in Malayalam, it's also about passing on traditions to a new generation, as a five-year-old sits listening to her 75-year-old grandmother.