THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state capital is all set to revel in the spectacular celebrations, events, trade fair, exhibitions, film festival, book fair, and food fest being organised as part of Keraleeyam – the seven-day-long celebrations from Wednesday – organised by the state government to showcase the essence of Kerala to the world.
A seven-day trade fair will be held at eight locations – Putharikandam, Central Stadium, Kanakakunnu, University College, Tagore Theatre, LMS, Institute of Engineering Hall, and Women’s College as part of the extravaganza.
The fair will showcase indigenous value-added products of Kerala, including ayurveda products, coir, handloom, art and crafts, domestic products, solar products, and more. The expo will allow customers to purchase directly from the manufacturers.
In addition to the trade fair, many other cultural events, including a film festival, will be held in connection with Keraleeyam. Around 100 films will be showcased in the festival, at four theatres in the capital. The festival is being organised by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and State Film Development Corporation.
Five remastered classic Malayalam films will be screened at the festival. Four films will be screened every day at Kairali, Sree, Nila, and Kalabhavan. On the inaugural day of the festival on Wednesday, the 3D version of My Dear Kuttichathan will be screened at Nila at 7:30pm.
The authorities have made elaborate arrangements in the capital to ensure the smooth conduct of the event, which is being held at 42 venues. Parking arrangements have been made in the outskirts of the city to avoid traffic chaos, and KSRTC will be plying e-buses connecting all venues free of cost to facilitate the visitors.
As part of the event, a food festival is being organised from Manaveeyam Veedhi to East Fort, featuring the distinctive flavorus of Kerala. The sale and exhibition of various types of food are being held at 11 venues. The festival will host 150 stalls that include everything from thattukada to ‘five-star’ dishes. More than 3,000 dishes will be available.
In addition to this, many cultural events will also be held. Over 300 art programmes — involving 4,100 artists — will be conducted at 30 venues. A slew of seminars aimed at preparing a blueprint for the next course of action in Nava Keralam will also be held. These meets will cover topics like gender justice, welfare and issues faced by the elderly, land reforms, fisheries sector, rights and welfare of workers, and education.
Kerala’s handling of the Covid pandemic will also be a topic. Over 200 experts will speak at the seminars either directly or virtually. All events will be held from 10am to 10pm, and entry will be free at every venue.