Countdown begins for Onam week celebrations; festival office opened

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the run-up to the statewide Onam week celebrations from September 6 to 12, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas opened the festival office of the celebrations at the Tourism Directorate in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Onam Celebrations at a grand ceremony at the Nishagandhi open air theatre at Kanakakunnu Palace grounds on September 6. “This year’s Onam celebrations have been planned on a grand scale as life is returning to normal the world over, overcoming the gloom cast by Covid-19,” said Riyas while inaugurating the Festival Office.

“Now, it is time to be cheerful again, forgetting the crisis and sorrow caused by the pandemic. Throughout the state, Onam will be celebrated in a befitting fashion. Apart from the state capital, celebrations will be organised across the state taking on board all sectors,” said Riyas.

Minister for General Education and Labour V Sivankutty, who is the working chairman of the celebrations, said traditional art forms will get prominence in the cultural programmes of the celebrations.
Apart from that, a rich variety of programmes will offer a veritable cultural feast to the people across the state as well as tourists during the week-long festival, he added.

I B Satheesh MLA, Tourism Director P B Nooh and officials of the tourism department were present.  A high-level panel has been formed for the conduct of the festival with the chief minister as the chief patron, tourism minister as chairman, speaker M B Rajesh, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan and ministers as patrons.