THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The week-long Onam celebrations concluded here on Tuesday with a splendid display of art forms and colourful floats during a cultural procession organised by the Tourism Department. Thousands of people, including children, women and elder citizens who flanked the Vellayambalam-East Fort stretch had something to cheer about with the gloomy skies giving way to sunshine in the afternoon.The pageantry started with Governor M O H Farooq flagging off the procession from a specially-constructed platform near Keltron at Vellayambalam. The anxiously waiting crowd, who had turned up hours ahead of the inauguration, cheered when the caparisoned elephant, which formed the vanguard, began to take silent strides forward.After the elephant, came the children of the Kerala Roller Skating Academy who zigzagged across the Vellayambalam - Museum road. Some of the younger participants performed full splits, prompting cheers from the crowd. The Mounted Police and the band of the Special Armed Police were received with zest by the children who had turned up in large numbers.The pageantry had the participation of more than 50 floats organised by various government departments, along with private institutions and self-help groups.Various self-help groups, including Kudumbashree, displayed floats which threw light on the spirit of group farming and the essence of traditional medicine. Buds, a unique school for the mentally retarded children in Neyyattinkara taluk, received wholehearted ovation from the spectators.As the float of the Excise Department hit the road, the people who were singing and shouting at the top of their voice turned silent for a moment. The float was meant to drive in a single message - that the consumption of alcohol was harmful to health. The float was specially noted as statistics are flowing in about the liquor consumption of Malayalees during Onam.The floats of the various departments highlighted the achievements made by the state government in general and the departments in particular under the 100-day action plan. The most appreciated float was that of the Kerala Police, which illustrated the desertion of parents in their old age by the children. This float had a perfect backdrop to it and a realistic portrayal powerful enough to grab attention.Various departments, including Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, Kerala Water Authority, Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, Forest Department and Kerala Tourism Development Corporation had rolled out floats.Colourful dance items, arts forms, ‘panchavadyam’ and traditional martial arts added to the sheen of the procession. For the first time in the history of government-sponsored Onam celebrations, expert artists from various south Indian states took part in the procession. Amongst them, Yakshagana artists, ‘Poykal’ artists from Tamil Nadu, puppet show and ‘Mariyattom’ received big applause from the crowd.The cultural procession concluded at East Fort.
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