Onam celebrations organised by the Kottayam district administration will commence on Wednesday. The week-long celebrations will be launched by Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan at a function to be held at Nehru Stadium.
Briefing reporters on Tuesday, District Collector Mini Antony said that the celebrations were being organised in collaboration with the Kottayam Municipality, the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) and various organisations.
The district administration would distribute free Onam kits, each worth about Rs.200, to 3,000 families in the Kottayam Municipal area and adjoining Panachicadu and Vijayapuram panchayats. Coupons have already been provided to eligible persons.
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A cultural meet will be held on Thursday at the Thirunakkara ground, where 14 eminent personalities from various fields will be felicitated.
They include Ambalapuzha Ramavarma (literature), Mathangi Sathyamurthy (music), Thiruvizha Jayashankar (instrumental music), Mathoor Govindankutty (Kathakali), Alleppey Ranganath (music direction), Guinness Pakru (acting), Kottayam Nazir (mimicry), Jayaraj and Joshy Mathew (film directors ), Venu (cinematography), K.G Markose (singing), Bhavani Chellappan (dance), K. Sankunny (light and sound), and Kumaranalloor Mani (traditional art form).
Later on the day, a musical performance by the Southern Naval Command band will be held. The show would be the first by the band outside Kochi, the Collector said.
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The cultural meet will conclude with a pyrotechnic display.
Traditional art forms and cinematic dance performances will also be organised.
The celebrations will come to a close with a ‘ganamela' by the Kottayam district police orchestra on September 13.