A very important festive occasion of Malayalis, the festival of Onam is just around the corner. The harvest festival of Kerala, it is celebrated for 10 days. Onam 2019 will begin on September 1 and go on till September 13. This time Emirates Airlines will also be celebrating the Onam festival, making it even more special for those travelling to Kerala. Between September 1 to 13, passengers on all flights to and to and from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram will be served authentic Onam dishes. The Onam Sadhya, a traditional feast of this festival is one of the main highlights of the celebrations.  So if you are heading to Kerala from Dubai in time to celebrate the beginning of Malayali calendar, then your celebrations will start mid-air! Onam 2019 Date: Story, Significance And Celebrations Related to the Harvest Festival of Kerala.

Emirates' chefs and catering teams have made special festive menu to offer to their passengers. Some of the dishes on the menu are crisp banana chips, sharkara upperi, banana roasted in jaggery, and kondatta mulaku —fried sundried chillies steeped in yoghurt. There will be dips of kaalan made of coconut, fresh yoghurt and yam, cucumber pachadi, a garnished salad, and puli inji, a sweet and tangy ginger-based chutney. The Business Class passengers get a additional delight of the  Kerala-style pappadam and mango pickle.

What's more, even if you are flying at 40,000 ft, to stay true to the authenticity, the meals will be served on banana leaves. The leaves will be placed in trays and dish liners. The point is to make all Keralities feel at home even if they are on a flight. Besides, to provide more entertainment, there will Malayalam movies and music choice on their inflight entertainment system.

Onam is one of the biggest celebrations in Kerala which is being marked since the year 1961. The harvest festival is celebrated with much joy and enthusiasm. There are a host of traditional events displaying artforms and folk dances across the state. It a great time for a family get-together and relishing the Sadhya.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 31, 2019 12:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).