Colourful start to arts fete in Thiruvananthapuram

Union Minister Shashi Tharoor opens fete at Neyyattinkara

Scenes from a cultural procession taken out at Neyyattinkara in connection with the inauguration of the Thiruvananthapuram District School Arts Festival on Tuesday. Photo: S. Mahinsha

A colourful pageantry on Monday through the Neyyattinkara town marked the beginning of the four-day Thiruvananthapuram Revenue District School Arts Festival.

Around 2,000 children marched in colourful attire from near the Viswabharathi School at Neyyattinkara to the main venue of the event at the Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School. Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor inaugurated the festival there. The fete, he said, was an ideal occasion for children to showcase their talent. “It is during childhood that one is able to find and develop talent. It is the time when talent blossoms and arts festivals are an occasion to display it,” he said.

397 items

Nearly 8,000 students from the 12 sub-districts — Varkala, Attingal, Kilimanoor, Palode, Nedumangad, Kaniyapuram, Thiruvananthapuram-North, Thiruvananthapuram-South, Kattakada, Balaramapuram, Neyyattinkara, and Parassala — would compete in as many as 397 items. There will be 12 venues spread across three schools — Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School, Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, and JBS, Neyyattinkara. Prior to the inaugural session, off-stage events such as story writing, essay, poster designing, versification, and pencil drawing competitions were held.

On Tuesday, students would compete in items such as Thiruvathirakali, folk dance, Mohiniyattom, Vattapattu, Keralanadanam, Chendamelam, Ganamela, Panchavadyam, and group song. A website — gstuthiruvananthapuram.weebly.com — has been launched where results will be posted as and when they are announced.