T'puram: F1, carnival to mark Onam feast

Thiruvananthapuram: A slew of programmes highlighting the cultural heritage of the State awaits festival-goers at the ‘Tourism Week of Kerala’ to be held during Onam. The week-long Onam celebrations being planned by the Tourism Department and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) will start on August 28 and conclude on September 3. The programmes of DTPC will be held at six venues and that of Tourism Department at 26 venues. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the celebrations at Kanakakkunnu Palace on August 28. The highlight of this year’s celebration will be a road show by Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan.

Kanakakkunnu Palace will be the most attractive spot this year too, with various programmes being planned here. Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, Poojappura ground, Nishagandhi auditorium, Suryakanthi exhibition grounds and Vyloppilli Samskriti Bhavan too will attract crowds. Classical dance performances, ‘gana melas’, performance of various traditional art forms, exhibitions and competitions will be held as part of the celebrations. The food festival will also be held at various venues.

The celebrations will conclude with a cultural procession from Kowdiar to East Fort. The colourful pageantry will exhibit the cultural and historical events of Kerala. Government departments, quasi-government departments, public sector undertakings, private institutions, local bodies, cooperative institutions and others will be part of the pageantry. Velakali, Kuzhalpattu, Pulikali, Kummatti, Panchavadyam, Elanjitharamelam, Sinkarimelam, Thayambaka, and Kalaripayattu will add colour on the concluding day. DTPC Secretary O T Prakash said that cultural programmes are also being organised at Varkala, Aruvikkara, Neyyatinkara, Shangumugham, Kovalam and Chirayinkeezhu.

The biggest event will be a 10-day carnival ‘Kadalolam’ at Shangumugham. The aim of the DTPC is to attract at least one lakh people at the Kadalolam festival over the 10 days. As Shangumugham has a large parking space, more people from the city could be attracted to this spot.

The carnival will include cultural programmes, participation of film personalities in various programmes, Malabar food festival, paragliding, exhibition of various ornamental fishes, birds and animals, flower show, magic show, sale of various types of ‘payasams’, consumer products, amusement rides and car showrooms.