To avoid the risk of coronavirus infection, children made ‘pookkalam’ (floral decoration) with locally-sourced flowers for Onam celebrations in Kerala. They collected flowers from their neighbourhood. Ayana said, “Due to Covid-19, we are picking flowers from our surroundings.”The state government has urged people not to purchase imported flowers during Onam celebrations. Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala. Special floral carpets called pookalams form an integral part of the celebrations.
