What Onam Taught Me About Togetherness

I have experienced many festivals across India, but this Onam gave me a perspective I had not encountered before. As someone who is not a Malayali, I had known of Onam as Kerala’s biggest festival. But witnessing it closely, and experiencing it with the Toonz family, made me understand that Onam is not simply a festival. It is a powerful celebration of belonging.

What struck me first was that Onam cannot be contained within Thiruvonam alone. It begins much earlier and finds expression in countless traditions, the beauty of Pookkalams, the rhythm of Thiruvathira, the energy of Pulikali, the spectacle of Vallam Kali and, of course, the grand Onam Sadya. Each tradition is different, but the message running through all of them is the same: come together and celebrate.

There is something deeply democratic about Onam. It belongs to everyone. People across communities and social backgrounds, irrespective of caste, class or gender, participate in the festivities with an extraordinary sense of ownership and enthusiasm. The story of Mahabali, a king remembered for a kingdom where people lived with equality, prosperity and happiness makes that inclusiveness even more significant. The legend may belong to another time, but the values it represents continue to resonate.

And then I saw that spirit at Toonz.

For a few hours, our workplace became something entirely different. The corridors were filled with colour, music and laughter. Colleagues arrived in traditional attire, Pookkalams brought the festive spirit into our spaces, and the graceful movements of Thiruvathira added an unmistakable cultural richness to the celebration.

But what stayed with me most was not any performance or decoration.

It was the faces.

The smiles. The laughter. The genuine excitement of people celebrating together.

People who spend their days working on different projects, in different teams and with different responsibilities were, for that moment, simply one Toonz family. There were no departments, designations or hierarchies on the dance floor or around the Pookkalam. There was just a shared sense of happiness.

That is a powerful thing for an organisation.

We often talk about culture in terms of values, processes and policies. But culture becomes real when people feel that they belong. It is created in the moments when colleagues celebrate each other, make space for each other and come together not because they have to, but because they want to.

That is what I saw at Toonz.

Onam reminded me that togetherness is not about everyone being the same. It is about different people coming together with a shared sense of belonging. That is also the kind of organisation I believe we should continue to build, one grounded in trust, respect, unity and the belief that every individual has a place in our collective journey.

I may not have grown up with Onam. But experiencing it this way made me understand why it holds such a special place in the hearts of Malayalis. It is not merely a celebration of a festival or a legend. It is a celebration of community, equality, family and the joy of coming home to one another.

And perhaps that is why Onam feels so much bigger than a single day.

It is an idea.

An idea that happiness is greater when it is shared, traditions become stronger when they are carried together, and a family becomes a family when everyone feels they belong.

This year, I experienced that idea at Toonz, and I am grateful to have been a part of it.