Onamamangam 2023, the biggest celebration of the south Indian festival of Onam in the UAE, showcased a dazzling array of traditions, performances and delicious cuisine.

Thousands of people gathered at Expo Centre Sharjah for the event that celebrated the cultural heritage of Kerala, organised by Equityplus Advertising with Medimix Ayurvedic brand as title sponsor.

The event was attended by Juby Kuruvilla, managing director of Equityplus Advertising; E A Phalgunan and Padmini Phalgunan, directors of Nasmat Al Sabah General Trading LLC (Medimix); Mohit Sodani, export manager of Ujala Jyothi Labs; Fasal Thangal, senior manager of Thangals Jewellers; Vasim Salim, e-commerce development, Hotpack Global; George Mathan, business development manager of Orbex Group (Brahmins); Siyad K Jamaludeen, president of EMNF; RJ Mithun, program head of HIT FM; and Adarsh Rio George, senior vice-president of IAS Media Group. The event featured a grand Onam Sadya served to over 7,000 attendees. The Sadya was organised and catered by Calicut Notebook Restaurant. The UAE's diverse community came together to enjoy the traditional flavours of Kerala in true Onam fashion.

RJs Nyla Usha and Mithun from Hit FM engaged the crowd in an interactive session while Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 5 Winner Akhil Marar, made his debut appearance in the UAE at the event. In a conversation with RJ Mithun, Marar shared insights into his Bigg Boss journey, discussing the challenges he faced. A surprise visit by Bigg Boss Season 5 contestant Shiju Adbul Rasheed, a Malayalam and Telugu actor, added to the excitement.

The event also featured two spectacular DJs, DJ Jazzy and DJ Jijesh, who mesmerised the audience with their beats. Sabareesh Prabhaker's outstanding violin performance, accompanied by a fusion ‘chendamelam’ with Agni Band, further elevated the entertainment quotient. The event concluded with a scintillating performance by renowned playback singer Sithara and her band, Project Malabaricus.

Other highlights of the day included the influencer fashion walk, featuring 10 renowned influencers and 12 contestants of the Malayali Manka programme. The programme was directed by Divya Balakrishnan. A mega dance performance by The Emirates Malayali Nurses Family added colour to the event.

A robotic elephant, adorned with Medimix branding, was a unique attraction at the event. In the pookkalam (floral carpet) competition, Team Floral Friends secured the first prize of Dh10,000, while Team Empire Gold bagged the second prize worth Dh5,000. SB College Changanassery won the third prize, taking home Dh2,000.

The first day of Onamamangam 2023 was held at Safari Mall, Sharjah, and featured a range of exciting competitions, including Thiruvathira, kids' fancy dress and painting contests, Mr. Malayali & Malayali Manka, Payasam competition, and an exhilarating Tug-of-war. Hit FM RJs Nyla, Arfaz and Donna interacted with the audience.

The event brought the essence of Kerala's culture and traditions to the heart of the UAE, fostering unity and celebration among the diverse communities residing in the country.

Sponsors of the programme included: Medimix Ayurvedic, Ujala Detergent, Hotpack, Thangals Jewelers, Brahmins Foods, Zee5, KSFE Pravasi Chitti Fund, Emami Smart and Handsome and Igloo Icecreams. Event production partners were allabout.ae and adspeak events. Nezo salt, Bazooka, Deemah, Al Ain Farms, Zic Motor oil, Al Areesh, Kanan Devan Tea, Tata Coffee and Apar Travels were support sponsors. Venue partner Safari Mall, Sharjah. Media Partners Malayala Manorama, Dailyhunt, Zee Keralam, Khaleej Times.

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