DUBBO'S Southern Indian community celebrated the Hindu festival Onam on Saturday morning at St Mary's Public School.
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The hall was filled with colourful traditional dress, music, dancing and food, to honour the Southern Indian state of Kerala.
Event organiser Jose Sunny said there were about 100 Southern Indian residents in Dubbo who had attended.
The day began with the making of the floral carpet, followed by a number of dance presentations and a lunch with more than 20 traditional Indian dishes on show.
While the majority of the event demonstrations were lead by the older generation, Mr Sunny said it was younger members of Dubbo's Southern Indian community they were hoping to impress.
"We want to keep the traditions alive," Mr Sunny said.
"Although it's a celebration of our community coming together, it's also a day we want to inspire our children to uphold the traditions."
Mr Sunny said Onam was the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala.
"It is a harvest festival and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people of all communities."
According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam, he said.