Shashi Tharoor posted a video of him participating in Onam swing tradition on Twitter.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor today posted a video of him participating in swing tradition as part of Onam - a harvest festival celebrated by Keralites. Today is 'Thiruvonam', the most auspicious day of the 10-day festival, which also celebrates the annual homecoming of legendary King Mahabali to Kerala.
"I was persuaded to get Into the spirit of things this year," the Thiruvananthapuram MP wrote, adding "one normally leaves the Onam swing tradition to young girls".
Mr Tharoor is seen dressed in a red kurta along with a white mundu (a garment worn around the waist) as he enjoys the swing tradition, also known as Onam Oonjaal, in the nearly 30-second video. The Congress MP celebrated Onam at his ancestral home in Palakkad with his extended family.
In an earlier tweet, Mr Tharoor posted a clip of his interview with a Malayalam news TV channel where he is seen explaining details about the festival and how he used to spend his childhood.
He also mentioned that the ancestral house at Palakkad's Elavanchery village was the venue where he married Sunanda Pushkar in August 2010.
While Onam is held over 10 days, the main festival will be celebrated over three days from August 21-23. The date is based on the Panchangam which falls on the 22nd Nakshatra Thiruvonam in the month Chingam of Malayalam calendar, which in the Gregorian calendar falls between August-September. Chingam is the first month according to the Malayalam calendar.
One of the most significant parts of Onam celebrations is the food that comprises classic vegetarian dishes from Kerala served on banana leaf.
Amid a spike in Covid cases in Kerala, the state government has decided to hold Onam celebrations on virtual mode.
The virtual celebration of the Onam festival formally began on August 14.
With inputs from ANI