Every year, we look forward to celebrating Onam at the office, and 2026 was no different. This year, we moved the celebration up by a day. Here’s a look at how Onam was celebrated at Kovai.co this year, from pookalam in the morning to team games by evening.
Starting the Day with Pookalam
Like every year, the day began with pookalam. Most of the women on the team came together to put it up, and even though we started a little later than planned, that didn’t take away from the fun. There was music playing in the background, people catching up while arranging flowers, and flowers being thrown at someone mid-conversation. A few jokes were cracked along the way too, and the whole place was filled with the fresh fragrance of flowers.
Onam Sadya: The Meal Everyone Waited For
By the time the pookalam was done, it was already afternoon, and everyone was ready for the Onam sadya. This year’s sadya had all the usual favourites – from ada pradhaman, aviyal, sambar to spiced buttermilk, and everything classic in between. Sweet or savoury, there was something for everyone, and the sadya was, as always, one of the most looked-forward-to parts of the celebration.
Vaishnavi Thiruppathi, Senior Software Engineer – QA, says,
Ada Pradhaman was my favourite. The delicious Sadya was a treat to the taste buds, and sharing the meal with colleagues made the celebration even more special.
Desk Activity: Guess the Word – Onam Edition
After a heavy lunch, we didn’t gather everyone together right away. Instead, a quick word game came to each team at their desks. One person had to guess an Onam- or Kerala-related word by asking questions, while their teammates could only answer with a yes or no. When the guessing got tough, teammates could offer hints or clues. It was a short break from work, but because it happened team by team, it felt a lot more personal, and people got into it.
Kabilan Rajkumar, Associate Software Engineer, says,
The funniest moment was when I was trying to guess King Mahabali but confidently said ‘Bahubali’ instead! That sparked a lot of laughter, making it one of the highlights of the celebration.
The Evening Celebration: Four Onam Games, One Floor
Once the desk games wrapped up, everyone gathered together for the evening celebration, which had four Onam-themed games lined up.
Storytelling Challenge
Teams of three were given a random set of 8–10 words and had to build a short, creative story out of them. Six teams took part, and somehow every single story turned out different and genuinely fun to listen to.
Thread Challenge
This one looked simple on paper: pull a sewing thread out of a satin ribbon without getting caught in a knot. But the thread unwound was full of tangles, and untangling them (or trying to) was where most of the fun came from.
Cup Passing Challenge
Teams had to pass paper cups from person to person using only straws held in their mouths – no hands allowed. Most people ended up dropping the cups from laughing too hard, and the poses people struck trying to hold onto a cup had onlookers in splits. By the end, nobody could say for sure whether the boys’ team or the girls’ team actually won, the game seemed to change halfway through.
Kolam Painting
The last activity was a painting competition, with two teams working on a large mandala design. One team technically finished first and was announced the winner, but honestly, both mandalas turned out beautifully.
Wrapping Up
That was Onam 2026 at Kovai.co – pookalam in the morning, a good sadya in the afternoon, and a floor full of games and laughter by evening. And, as always, plenty of photos were taken to remember the day by.
Curious what else we get up to? Read about Life at Kovai.co: Beyond the Job Description and Celebrating Workplace Friendships Beyond the Desk.
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