KOCHI: The state tourism department, district administration and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) are about to make Onam celebrations in the district big this year. With various cultural programmes spread across several venues in the district, the authorities have planned a five-day-long fiesta, Lavanya 2023, for the public. The programmes will kick-start at Ernakulam Durbar Hall on Sunday.
“Lavanya 2023 will be staged at 15 venues, which can later be converted into tourism centres, in the district. Ernakulam Durbar Hall's open-air auditorium will be the main venue. Fort Kochi, Kolenchery, Kothamangalam, Perumbavoor, Palluruthy, Pampakuda, Vypeen, Kumbalangi, Muvattupuzha, Kuttampuzha, Vailopilly Park Kaloor and Kalamassery are the other venues. More than 36 art programmes will be held at the centres during these five days,” said a DTPC official.
The celebrations will start at 6 PM at Durbar Hall with a procession showcasing various art forms. It will be followed by an ‘Onamkali’ by ‘Thevara Thumpapu’, kathakali and mohiniyattam performances by kathakali artist S Sasikala Nedungadi and her team, and a musical show by playback singer Unni Menon, said the official.
On Monday, the ‘Uthrada’ day, the Sriparvathi Thiruvathira Sangam will stage a thiruvathira performance. A show by Perfume Band will be held at 6 PM at Durbar Hall while a mega folk eve by Thrissur Jananayana followed by Kerala Kalamandalam dances will be held at Vypeen.
The next day, on ‘Thiruvonam’, ‘kai kottikali’ by the residents of Thanthonni Thuruthu will be staged at 6 PM followed by a Sufi dance performance by Al Ameen arts group and a musical show by Padmasree Mattannoor Shankarankutty Marar at Durbar Hall. A dance show featuring dancer-actor Lakshmi Gopalaswamy will be held at Fort Kochi Pallath Raman Cultural Centre (Veli) on the day.
A motivational show by Freedom on Wheels members and a ‘chirimelaam’ presentation by Manoj Guinness & team will light up Wednesday’s programmes. The day will also see a musical fusion performance by Nandanam Symphony followed by a musical night by singer Jazzy Gift and ‘Thichamundi Theyam’ by Kozhikode Srinivasan.
Meanwhile, art forms from the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra and Karnataka will be held at Perumbavoor and Palluruthy Veli Ground on Wednesday. Nadan Pattupura will be staged by Vadakans Kannur at Munambam Beach.
At 11 AM on Friday, visitors will get to savour different types of payasam at Fort Kochi and Mattanchery areas from Fort Kochi Jail of Freedom Struggle. A fusion music programme by Cochin Rhythmic will be conducted on September 3.