Onam revelry enlivens Kochi’s suburban towns

September 05, 2022 08:47 pm | Updated 09:01 pm IST - KOCHI

A tug of war contest organised in connection with ‘Aarppo 2022’ tourism mela at Vypeen on Sunday.

A tug of war contest organised in connection with ‘Aarppo 2022’ tourism mela at Vypeen on Sunday.

After a two-year pandemic-induced lull, beaches and parks in Vypeen, Thrikkakara and other locales in the city suburbs have turned alive with Onam celebrations, with people thronging the locations in large numbers to be part of different contests and with the beginning of a host of cultural programmes.

Revellers have been thronging the popular Kuzhipilly beach in Vypeen since Saturday, as ‘Aarppo 2022’ tourism mela kicked off. The beachfront has turned the venue for beach judo and tug-of-war contests and several traditional art forms. A poets’ meet presented by Greater Kochi Cultural Forum saw 94 Onam-related poems being rendered.

Vypeen was selected as the sole venue in the district to host ‘Vasanthotsavam’ of Bharat Bhavan. The festivities, which include a food fest hosted by the Kudumbashree, will conclude on Wednesday, with 85 artistes from five States presenting their ethnic art forms on the beach. “Such gatherings are relevant at a time when cultural gatherings are becoming a rarity,” said K.N. Unnikrishnan, the MLA representing the region.

Onam events hosted by the Thrikkakara Samskarika Kendram will be held till Monday (September 12) at the Onam park. A fusion show, folk songs, Kathaprasangam, karaoke ganamela and a debate are among the events lined up.

In the city, Durbar Hall Ground will be the venue of the week-long ‘Lavanyam 2022’ programme, organised jointly by District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), Tourism Department and district administration, from Tuesday. Industries Minister P. Rajeeve will inaugurate the event. The trial run of a hot-air balloon, a joint initiative of the DTPC and Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS), that was scheduled for the day has been postponed in view of the orange alert issued in the district.

On Thursday, Thiruvonam day, the ground will witness a Thiruvathira by differently abled children and a musical evening. A mega show will be held on Friday.

Art and cultural events will also be staged in various venues in Fort Kochi, Kadambrayar, Bhothathankettu, Piravom, Perumbavoor, Thirumaradi and Pambakuda.

The main venue of events at Kadambrayar will be Infopark, where an Onam rally, Pulikkali, ethnic songs, stand-up comedy, DJ music and one-man show will be held, from Tuesday noon onwards. The Pallathu Raman Centre in Veli, Fort Kochi, will host among other daily events, a mega comedy show on Saturday.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.