Kerala: Onam Week celebrations to be held on grand scale from September 6 to 12

Thiruvananthapuram, July 24, 2022

Kerala Government will organise the Onam Week celebrations on a grand scale from September 6 to 12, State Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said here on Saturday.

At a high-level meeting convened by him, Riyas said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would inaugurate the state-level celebrations at Nishagandhi open air auditorium here on September 6 (Pooradam day).

In the state capital alone, the events will be held in 30 venues, he said.

"This is a major cultural event with tremendous scope to attract tourists to the state," Riyas said.

The week-long celebrations will conclude with a colourful pageantry from Vellayambalam to the East Fort in the city on September 12.

Transport Minister Antony Raju, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil, Mayor Arya Rajendran, A A Rahim, MP, legislators from the district Kadakampally Surendran, C K Hareendran, K Ansalan, V Joy, District Panchayat President D Suresh Kumar, Tourism Director P B Nooh, District Collector Navjot Khosa and City Police Commissioner G Sparjan Kumar attended the meeting.

A high-level panel with the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the Chief Patron, Speaker M B Rajesh, Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan, General Education Minister V Sivankutty, Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil, Co-operation and Culture Minister V N Vasavan and former Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran MLA as deputy patrons has been formed for the conduct of the festival.

An Executive Committee comprising MPs and MLAs from Thiruvananthapuram district as patrons was also formed. Minister Sivankutty will be the working chairman and Tourism Principal Secretary K S Srinivas, will be the Convener - Chief Co-ordinator and Tourism Director P B Nooh the convener.

The Executive Committee will have the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, District Panchayat President, District Collector, the City Police Commissioner and representatives of political parties as members.

There will also be various committees in charge of Programme, Infrastructure, Media & Publicity, Food Festival, Trade Fair & Exhibition, Sponsorship, Illumination, Security, Procession and Green Protocol.

Besides, there will be sub-committees for various art forms to be presented during the festival. The last date for receiving applications from artistes and troupes for participating in the event is August 7.

An annual feature for long, the conduct of the state-level Onam Celebrations was suspended in 2018 owing to the devastating floods that ravaged the state. In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic came in the way of organising the celebrations physically.

NNN