Colourful culmination to Onam week celebrations

A mega cultural pageantry, showcasing the cultural and artistic diversity of the country marked the end of the state’s week-long Onam festivities here on Saturday.
An artist interacting with the crowd during the concluding procession of the week-long Onam celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. Traditional artists performing at the procession  | Manu R mavelil
An artist interacting with the crowd during the concluding procession of the week-long Onam celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. Traditional artists performing at the procession | Manu R mavelil

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A mega cultural pageantry, showcasing the cultural and artistic diversity of the country marked the end of the state’s week-long Onam festivities here on Saturday. The pageantry, featuring over 3,000 artistes and around 100 thematic floats and divergent art forms of various states besides Kerala, enthralled thousands of spectators who flocked along the streets of the capital city.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan flagged off the pageantry at Vellayambalam around 5 pm. The procession started to its rhythmic beats as Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran handed over the musical instrument ‘kombu’ to the main artist. The pageantry ended at Attakulangara.

Along with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family, ministers Kadakampally Surendran, K K Shailaja and the family of Minister K Raju were present during the event. The pageantry opened to the elegance of equestrian army at the front , followed by 100 men dressed in traditional attire, holding muthukuda.

Accompanying them were mohiniyattam dancers. The state’s art forms such as theyyam, kathakali. velakali, padayani, pulikali, nilakavady, pookkavadi, chinth kavadi and amman kuda followed.
The percussion performance included panchavadyam, chendamelam, shinkarimelam, band and perumbara. Dance forms such as oppana, margamkali, thiruvathira, duff muttu and kolkali symbolised the religious harmony of Kerala. Keralite art forms such as mayura dance, paruthanttam, garudan parava, Arjuna dance and Kummattikkali added grandeur to the rally. Bommmakali, chavittunadakam, parichamuttukali, pantham veeshal and valluvanadan artforms added colour.

Artists from Assam, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu presented beautiful performances. The spectators were given clear description of the artforms through light arrangements and ample descriptions both at the  front and rear.   

Art forms on display

Floats featuring topics such as GST, transgender issues, job security and Thiruvananthapuram striving to become smart city earned the appreciation of the spectators. Elaborate security arrangements were in place for the smooth conduct of the pageantry. The Onam celebration this time followed strict financial discipline. Without losing out on grandeur, this year’s pageantry was conducted at an expense of Rs 34 lakh. Ambulance services were arranged in various locations.

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