The
week-long celebrations of Onam, the biggest harvest festival in Kerala which
symbolizes King Mahabali’s homecoming, got off to a colourful start on Tuesday.
It’s after a gap of three years that the annual Onam celebrations are organized
on a grand scale.

An annual
event for a long, the conduct of the celebrations was suspended in 2018 owing to
severe floods that devastated the state. The Covid-19 pandemic came in the way
of the celebrations in 2020 and 2021.

Chief
Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Kerala Tourism’s Onam fest at
Nishagandhi Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram as the whole of the state started permeating
with a resurgent mood, overcoming the pandemic-induced downturn and
devastations spawned by floods in previous years.

The
festivities being held in 32 venues across the state will feature over 8000
artists, half of whom will be from the traditional streams. The inaugural ceremony
was preceded by a performance of Ilanjithara Melam led by noted percussionist Kalamandalam Sivadas.
Actors Dulquer Salmaan and Aparna Balamurali were the chief guests. A music
concert led by singers Vijay Yesudas and Rimi Tomy was the evening’s highlight. The
cultural extravaganza will conclude on September 12 with colourful pageantries
across the State.

The various
programmes include a trade fair and a food festival, dance performances,
musical concerts, symphony fusion, Kathaprasangam, folk arts, Kathakali,
Koothu, Koodiyattam, Pookalam competitions, and Thiruvathirakali, among others.

The Museum
premises witness the staging of plays and Yoga displays all these days. In
keeping with tradition, swings have been installed at various points in the
capital city. Besides, attractive illuminations were put up in all tourist
destinations, including Kovalam.

The cultural
extravaganza will conclude on September 12 with colourful pageantries in the
state capital and other centres.