The city will host a slew of performances by artists for four days from Thiruvonam.
Lavanyam, the annual Onam celebrations organised jointly by the State tourism department, the Ernakulam district administration, and the District Tourism Promotion Council, will get off to a start at Durbar Hall ground on Monday.
Addressing a press conference at the Ernakulam Press Club on Friday, District Collector M. Beena said that members of tourism clubs functioning in schools and colleges will be given an opportunity to showcase their artistic skills during the celebrations in keeping with their longstanding demand.
Apart from the Durbar Hall ground, programmes will be held at Marine Drive and the Children's Park as well. On the opening day, Shinkari Melam and Kaavady will be staged an hour ahead of the inaugural ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. This will be followed by a ganamela (orchestra) by playback singers Biju Narayanan and Jyotsana at 7.30 p.m.
At Marine Drive, Bharatanatyam performance by Seetha Sasidharan and ganamela by Kalabhavan Soby will be held on the opening day at 6.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. respectively.
On Tuesday, film actor Lakshmi Gopalaswami will stage a dance performance at Durbar Hall ground at 6.30 p.m. Tourism club members of the Government Higher Secondary School Kongorppilly will perform “ kolkaly ,” at 6 p.m. At Marine Drive, a musical night “Old is gold” by the yesteryear singer Udayabanu to be held at 7 p.m. will be the highlight of the evening. Mohiniyattam by Parvathy Raj will be held at 6 p.m. Western music presented by tourism club members from Siena College, Edakochi, will be held at 5 p.m.
Ghazals by Umbai will enthrall the audience at Durbar Hall ground on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Jayaprabha Menon from Delhi will stage Mohiniyattam at 5.45 p.m. Poojanath, a member of the tourism club at Rajagiri College, Kalamassery will perform Bharatanatyam at 5 p.m.
K.S. Prasad and group will stage “Black and White megashow” at Marine Drive on Wednesday at 5.30 p.m. Folk songs by the tourism club members of Vocational Higher Secondary School, Pullepady, and Kathakali will be staged at 5 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. respectively.
Fire works will light up the sky over Marine Drive on Thursday, marking the end of the celebrations. A unique programme titled “ Sargasrishti ” will be staged by Matha Malayalam Theatrical and Heritage Arts, Kozhikode, at the Durbar Hall ground on the last day at 6.30 p.m. Sen Janson of Thevara College will stage Kuchipudy at 5.30 p.m. Ganamela by Pradeep Palluruthy will be held at Marine Drive at 6.30 p.m.
Dr. Beena will inaugurate the programmes at the Children's Park on Saturday. Ganamela , game shows, folk songs, mimicry and dance will be staged at the venue for the next six days.
