The Quint : Aug 21, 2020, 01:10 PM
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday, 19 August, recommended that people should celebrate Onam indoors this year, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, and social distancing norms should be followed when they go shopping for the festival.The CM made the remarks while participating in a video conference with district collectors, police chiefs and medical officers, adding that people should use locally available flowers for the tradition floral carpet."There are some people who trivialise the current COVID-19 situation. We must not stand helplessly in front of them. The aim is to contain the number of cases and reduce the death rate. Precautionary measures should be location specific. As of now, we are able to control the deaths but that may not be the situation if the cases increase," he said.The meeting was also attended by Health Minister KK Shailaja, Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan, and AC Moideen. The CM gave directions to the police to ensure that no public celebration for the festival takes place.Onam is celebrated in remembrance of King Mahabali, whose reign, it is said, saw no sorrow or poverty, only prosperity. It is a 10-day harvest festival celebrated in Kerala. This year, the festival is from 22 August to 2 September.Every year, people lay out floral rangolis outside their homes to commemorate the homecoming of the king.