KOZHIKODE: As the curtain came down on the five-day-long State School Kalolsavam, hosts Kozhikode reasserted its supremacy by winning the title once again. The district emerged champions in the 61st Kerala School Arts Festival, which is widely regarded as the biggest of its kind in Asia, with 945 points. This is the 20th time Kozhikode has lifted the 936gm gold cup.
The last two days of the festival witnessed a tight competition between Kozhikode and Kannur. Both Kannur and Palakkad secured second position with 925 points. Kannur was in the lead for the first three days of the festival. Later, Kozhikode, which was in second position, came first from Friday. On the fourth day, Kozhikode’s points tally was boosted by the results of the drama, group dance and thiruvathira competitions. The third position went to Thrissur district, which got 915 points.
Kozhikode topped in the high school general category with 446 points, while Palakkad came second with 443 points. Thrissur was placed in third position with 436 points.
In the higher secondary category, Kannur won the first place with 500 points. Kozhikode (499) and Palakkad (482) bagged second and third positions, respectively.
Kollam and Ernakulam came on top with 95 points and Thrissur and Kozhikode came second with 93 points in high school Sanskrit category. Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kannur districts topped the high school Arabic category with 95 points each. Ernakulam and Malappuram districts (93) came second.
Among schools, BSS Gurukulam Higher Secondary School, Alathur, Palakkad (156), Carmel EM Girls HSS, Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, (142) and Durga HSS Kanhangad, Kasaragod (114) bagged the top three positions respectively. “The Palakkad team wanted to keep the trophy this year too. We tried our best. But the district couldn’t become champions this year. However, we are glad to achieve first position among schools. And this is the 10th time the school is securing first position in the state school festival,” said Gurukulam school programme manager. BSS Gurukulam Higher Secondary School, Alathur, was the champion among schools in previous festival too.
In the 60th school arts festival held at Kanhangad in Kasaragod earlier, Palakkad won the gold cup with 951 points. With 949 points, Kannur shared the second position with Kozhikode. Thrissur was in the third position with 940 points.