Kerala school arts festival: Palakkad still leads after Day 5

Devi Krishna of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Talikkulam, Thrissur, who bagged the first prize in Kuchipudi (HSS category) in the State School Arts Festival in Kozhikode on Sunday.— Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Palakkad extended its lead over host and defending champion Kozhikode in the 55th State School Arts Festival here on Monday. Palakkad is on 636 points on the end of day five, which is attracting huge crowds for events such as folk dance, Kerala nadanam and chavittu natakam.

Kozhikode has 627 points, followed by Kannur (621), Thrissur (614), Malappuram (605), Kottayam (596), Kasaragod (596), Alappuzha (594), Thiruvananthapuram (592) and Ernakulam (590).

The festival, in which over 11,000 students compete in 232 events at 17 stages, concludes on January 21.