THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The seven-day Onam celebrations, organised by the State Tourism Department, will come to an end on Monday with a colourful procession comprising various floats and art forms to be presented by around 3,000 artistes.
The pageantry will begin from Vellayambalam and conclude at East Fort. Governor P Sathashivam will flag off the ceremony from Vellayambalam at 5 pm on Monday.
The flag-off ceremony will be held at a special pavilion arranged in front of Keltron, Vellayambalam.
Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the valedictory function to be held at Nishagandhi auditorium at 8 pm.
“Over a hundred people are expected to play the‘chenda’ and around 150 people, both men and women, dressed in traditional attire will take part in the ceremony with ‘muthukkuda’ and ‘olakkuda,’” Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar told at a press conference here on Saturday.
“The ceremony will be decorated with theme-based floats representing realistic and contemporary issues,” the minister said.
The procession will lay stress on organic farming with a theme named ‘Jaivam Jeevamritam’ and the floats on organ donation and air ambulance will be an added attraction. “Despite the cultural art forms, the majority of floats will be presented against drug abuse and consumption of liquor.
With due importance given to the tourism department, the procession will also display the people-friendly initiatives of the government,” said chairman of Onam procession committee Varkala Kahar MLA.
Artistes who perform ‘kombu,’ ‘thayambaka,’ ‘velakali,’ ‘neyyandimelam,’ ‘nilakkavadi,’ ‘pookkavadi’ and ‘chindakavadi’ will be part of the pageantry.
Anil Kumar said that around 25 artistes, who perform fusion drums, would also take part in the pageantry.
“Art forms from many states will form the essence of the function,” the minister added.
Kaliyattam of Puducherry, Fag and Woomer of Harayana, Sambal Puri of Odisha, Mathuri of Telegana, Sidhi Dhamaal of Gujarat and other art forms from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will attract many to the ceremony. Kerala arts forms such as Kathakali, Mohiniyattom, Theyyam, Kalarypayattu, Daffmutt, Aravanamuttu, Margam Kali, Parichamuttukali, Chavittunadakam, Vattakali, Kummatti and Padayani would be an attraction this year, a press statement from the tourism department said.
Apart from these art forms, around 90 floats will be part of the procession. The floats will represent six categories, that are Central Government offices, state government departments, local-self government institutions, state-district primary cooperative institutions, nationalised banks and private institutions.