THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Considering the special circumstance the state is in at present, the tourism department has resorted to the virtual route to celebrate Onam with a bevy of programmes. Titled ‘Onam Fest Kerala’, the online fete features a bouquet of heritage arts and celebratory rituals, alongside new-age cultural programmes. The fest, which began on August 22, has so far garnered three million views.
Among the events streamed till Friday, the panchari melam, which is a traditional percussion ensemble comprising chenda, drums, cymbals, horns and pipes, alone got one million views, followed by the Kerala natanam, Onam folk songs, pulikali, Onapottan and sadhya. Other events streamed on Friday included multi-instrumentalist Tao Issaro’s Onam songs.
Programmes which will be streamed in the coming days include a Kathakali performance, a live band show, a film with Onam as its theme, family Onam celebrations and Job Kurian’s music show. All programmes will be streamed at 7pm. The fete will conclude on September 2. Celebrating the spirit of Onam, Kerala Tourism released a video showing the culinary richness of a traditional Onasadhya, through Facebook on Thursday.
“It’s an opportunity for travellers across the globe to experience our culture and heritage through social media,” said Rani George, secretary, Kerala Tourism. P Bala Kiran, director, Kerala Tourism, said the online festival has also presented the rest of the nation with a model to celebrate cultural events amid Covid-19.