Onam celebrated
MEDWAY – Kent Malayalee Association held its Onam celebrations on September 24 (Saturday) rom 11.00am to 6.30pm at Rainham School for Girls, Derwent Way Rainham, Kent, ME8 0BH. The programme commenced with the customary athapookalam and the Onam sadhya followed by a variety of arts and cultural events.

Family Sports and Fun Day on July 31
CHATHAM -- Kent Malayalee Association will hold its Family Sports and Fun Day on Sunday July 31 from 2pm to 7pm at the Black Lion Leisure centre Grounds, Mill Road, Gillingham. There are various events for children, adults and the elderly. For further information please contact Vijayamohan on 07956876290 or Shibu Pillai on 07985198905 or Balagopal on 07855530341 or Lily Davis on 07812581933.

Christmas, New Year and Second anniversary celebrated
CHATHAM -- Kent Malayalee Association celebrated Christmas, New Year and its second anniversary celebrations on Saturday, December 18 from 12pm to 6pm at the Chatham Grammar School for Boys, Maidstone Road, Chatham, ME4 6JB.

Ramzan, Diwali, Kerala Piravi celebrated
GILLINGHAM -- Kent Malayalee Association celebrated the Holy Month of Ramadan with Diwali, the festival of lights on a very auspicious occasion - Kerala Piravi on Sunday, November 7, 2004 at The Shaw Memorial Hall, St Augustine’s Church, Rock Avenue, Gillingham, Kent.
Chairman and convenor of the programme Balagopal welcomed the guests and the audience. Shafiq Din from the Kent Muslim Association delivered the Ramzan message. While Lily Davis, the president, delivered the Kerala Piravi message Athmaja Parameswaran, the arts club secretary, delivered the Diwali message.
The first session was mostly songs and dance performed by the association members. After the snack break it was time for the raffle draw accompanied by entertainment involving everyone present. Around £600 worth of prizes was given off to the participants.
At the end of the function everyone present were in full swing dancing on the floor to the tune of Lajjavathiye ninte kalla… culminating with Shibu Pillai, treasurer, proposing the vote of thanks.

Onam celebrated
MEDWAY – Kent Malayalee Association held its Onam celebrations on September 18 (Saturday) from 11.00am to 7pm at Rainham School for Girls, Derwent Way Rainham, Kent, ME8 0BH. The programme commenced with the customary athapookalam and a variety of arts and cultural events. This was followed by the traditional Onam sadhya and a professional Malayalam drama.

Onam celebrated                                                      
MEDWAY — Kent Malayalee Association held its first ever Onam celebrations at the Rainham School for Girls, Kent on September 20.

The function began with the lighting of the athapookalam lamp by Mr Vasudevan Nair followed by the Onam Sadhya. After the sumptuous Onam treat, it was now the beginning of another treat for the ears and eyes, the cultural programmes.

Robin Joseph, convenor of the Onam celebrations, welcomed the guests. Balagopal, chair of KMA, in his Onam message said: “Through events such as the Christmas celebrations, Easter Family Evening, Family Sports and fun day, the community has come closer and we have come closer than ever today with celebrating Onam. Through events like these we keep our culture and tradition close to our hearts and pass it on to the future generation”.

Lily Davis, president of the association, elaborated the importance of Onam for Keralites. She also thanked the Medway Ethnic Minority Forum for providing support to the association.
Dr Atmaja Parameswaran, arts club secretary, welcomed the audience to the cultural programmes and wished everyone a happy Onam.

Mayor of Medway Nick Bowler was the chief guest. Other guests included Surinder Dhindsa, chair of Medway Ethnic Minority Forum and Azhar Mahmood, director of Medway Racial Equality Council.

The programmes got of to a start with the Onam skit where the myth and message of Onam was read out in English and Malayalam. The Mahabali, enacted by Mr Davis Pulikoden, went down to the audience and wished them prosperity. The next was the traditional Thiruvathira performed by the women of the association. The group song, led by Roy Sebastian and Lily Sebastian, was also well received.
The next item took the audience by surprise with Akhil Balagopal and Ryan Robin dancing to a song from the recent hit film ‘CID Moosa’. The group dance Tikkabala, Tikkabala, performed by Renisha Robin showed that the association does not lack young talents.
No one ever thought that Diana Davis could dance so well when she danced to the tune of Sivadham, Sivadham. Other dances by Gayathri Dhanya, Ponni, Mayana, Samara were a hit with the audience.
Songs by Roy Sebastian, Lily Sebastian, Sindhu, Rincy Robert, Lekshmi Rajesh, Rajan Pillai, Gopi Pillai, Rugmini Pillai were all a real treat for the music lovers. B. K. Thomas, assistant arts club secretary, proposed the vote of thanks.