India, Aug. 26 -- F or Malavika Mohanan, Onam, being celebrated today, has always been a way of reconnecting with her Malayali roots. Born and raised in Mumbai, the actor says the festival gave her a sense of belonging to Kerala, even while she was growing up away from the state. "Onam was one of those few special days in the year where I could really celebrate my roots," she says. Her strongest childhood memory is of "making pookalams" with her "Maharashtrian and Gujarati friends in Mumbai". "We'd all sit and decide what sort of design to make for the flower rangoli. It was like a three-four-hour-long affair... So that for me is a very, very fond memory." She also loves the versatility of the traditional white-and-gold Kasavu sari: "You can go very minimalistic with it... or very maximalistic." While Sadya, the traditional Onam feast, didn't excite her much as a "very fussy" child, she has grown to enjoy it. Today, her ideal Onam is spent in Kerala with family, wearing a Kasavu sari, visiting a temple and sitting down to a home-cooked Sadya. "It's one festival that really brings us together. We take time off from work commitments and go to my hometown." Even when the family celebrates in Mumbai, her mum recreates the festivities at home with an elaborate Sadya, flowers and friends dressed in traditional attire: "It's like a mini Kerala in the midst of Mumbai." And the one tradition she never wants to lose? "Just catching up with fam around that time and celebrating Onam in our hometown in Kerala. The older you grow, you just want to make memories with your family."...