Thiruvananthapuram: The shopping malls and the streets of Kochi lacked the usual festival charm. The main road leading to Secretariat from Vellayambalam, Thiruvananthapuram, which usually is illuminated to boost festive mood, too bore a comparatively deserted look on the eve of Thiruvonam. Unlike previous Onams, there is no high decibel music by cultural organisations or clubs, and no large floral carpets on sides of roads, made with varied hues of flowers, at many places across Kerala.

Post-deluge, Kerala is celebrating Onam, in a totally different way. Youngsters are busier than the previous editions of the festival. They are busy collecting dress, provisions and other materials for relief camps, cleaning flood-hit houses and helping out those in the relief camps.

With more than 8 lakh people at 2,287 relief camps across the State, the focus of Onam celebrations got shifted to the relief camps to boost the morale of the flood-hit. District administrations concerned ensured that there would be Onam feast in all camps.

“We have prepared Onam feast with daal paayasam today. I usually celebrate Onam at home with my family, but this time it was with 113 families,” says K M Ismail, who stays put at Hindalco Club relief camp, Eloor, Ernakulam.

Many camps were reverberating with busy activities like folksongs, fun games and music. Maharajas College, where about 50 flood-affected people still stay put, witnessed fun games like musical chair, lemon and spoon race, tug-of-war and the like. A small floral carpet with varied hues of flowers was also prepared at Maharaja’s College.

Kunhachchan, who stays at Maharajas College with his daughter and grandchildren, after his house was inundated, is all smiles when he watches the rush of kids participating in all fun games. “I will have to toil to make my house habitable again. But I am relieved to watch these kids playing,” he said.

Ministers too shifted their Onam celebrations to the camps. Among them are, PWD Minister G Sudhakaran, Finance Minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac and Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran who celebrated Onam in relief camps at Vocational Higher Secondary School, Kanichikulangara, SDV Central School Alappuzha and MN LP School, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram respectively. Agriculture Minister V S Sunilkumar and Education Minister Prof C Raveendranath visited camps in Thrissur district. While the former had Onam feast at Centenary Hall, Puthanpeedika, Anthikad with 256 flood-hit, the latter lunched with more than 500 inmates in relief camp at Arattupuzha. Minister for Water Resources Mathew T Thomas visited the camp at GHS, Peringara, Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta and celebrated Onam with 42 flood-hit families. “United, we will be able to overcome this crisis,” said Kadakampally Surendran, after having Onam feast with the inmates of MN LP School camp.

It was a busy work day for Chief Minister’s office too. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attended meetings to review the rescue and relief operations and accepted donations to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund from various prominent personalities.

Govt officials, without enjoying holidays, too were on duty to ensure the smooth functioning of camps on the day of Thiruvonam on Saturday. Volunteers too were present at the cleaning sites, collection centres and camps.

Members of Legislative Assembly and prominent personalities visited various camps on Thiruvonam. Musician Stephen Devassy and singer K S Chithra visited Engandiyoor St Thomas School and Alappuzha SDV Central School respectively to provide music treat to alleviate the woes of the flood-hit.

“The main purpose of our visit is to assure the flood-hit that we all are with them. They should not feel that they are left alone in this misery,” said actor Mammootty, who visited relief camp at Kodungalloor.