The 25th Revenue District Youth Festival kick-started amid pomp and splendour in Kolenchery on Tuesday.
Students from each of the 14 sub-districts participated in the grand and colourful procession from the block panchayat, which culminated at the St Peter’s Higher Secondary School, Kolenchery.
The four-day festival, in which over 8,000 students are expected to participate in 295 items, was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs K V Thomas. Minister for Panchayats and Social Welfare M K Muneer inaugurated the Sanskritolsavam. The Arabic festival was inaugurated by Excise and Ports Minister K Babu. Actor Bhama lit the festival lamp.
While St Peter’s School bagged the first prize for its attire and display in the procession, St Paul’s Higher Secondary School, Kolenchery, got the second prize.
Contests will be held at 15 venues, including St Peter’s School. The ‘Oppana’ and ‘Kerala Nadanam’ contests commenced at 6 pm. Earlier in the day, contests in offstage items were held at various venues. The results are available on the festival website.
The other venues include nearby schools, auditoriums, Vyapara Bhavan Hall and the parish hall, among others. This year, five more contests were included.
Stiff contests will be held in ‘nangiyarkoothu’, ‘vanchipattu’, ‘chavittunadakam’ and Urdu speech and ‘ghazal’. The students who stood first with A grade in all the festivals of the 14 sub-districts are participating.
The silver jubilee of the festival will be marked by the distribution of mementos and trophies. Each student who bags the first prize will get a memento.
An overall trophy, trophy for the first sub-district, the first in the higher secondary division, high school and upper primary division will also be given.
District panchayat president Eldhose Kunnappilly, vice-president Bindu George, education standing committee chairperson K K Soman and Deputy Director of Education M D Murali were also present. Contests will not be held on Wednesday, ‘Mannam Jayanthi’, and will commence from 9 am on Thursday. The festival will conclude on January 5.