For 45 days, afternoons in Kozhikode city were brightened by the All India Health-Education-Agriculture-Industry Fair, being held in connection with the golden jubilee celebration of the Kozhikode Corporation, at Swapna Nagari. The show has now been extended by a few days, and will come a close on May 21.
The fair, which began on April 3, has been a huge hit despite the heat and the entry fee. For children, the umpteen number of fun rides were a welcome relief from the boredom of the summer. For others, the fair offered a whole lot of products in various categories in around 150 stalls.
The traffic jams on the Mini-bypass during evenings were proof of the success of the fair, which saw over 15 lakh people visit during the past month-and-a-half. A massive replica of the Taj Mahal, complete with fountains and trees, in the centre of the ground is a major attraction of the fair. People come from far and wide just for a glimpse of the ‘Taj Mahal of Kozhikode’ and click a selfie with the structure in the background.
Cultural programmes will be held at the open air theatre on all evenings in the days to come. A ghazal by Omar Hassan on Monday and a Rafi-Mukesh-Lata night by Nayan J. Shah will be held on the concluding day. A valedictory function will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The earnings from the fair will be used for charity purposes, C.P. Mussafir Ahammed, secretary of the exhibition committee, said.
