It proved quite a sumptuous Tuesday for the art lover. With quality performers gracing the stage across the 20 venues at the 57th State School Arts Festival, the fans of music and dance had a tough day to make their choice.
It was also the day that this unique festival came truly alive. There were big crowds for most of the venues and you could not have missed the festive air as you moved around the city.
Dances, of course, attracted the largest crowds. The boys’ events may normally pale in popularity, compared with that of girls, but the HSS boys’ Kuchipudi was watched by a big gathering at the main venue of the Police Maidan.
There were also large crowds for Mohiniyattam at Town Square and Kerala Nadanam at the Collectorate Ground. But, the biggest crowd of the day was for Oppana, held at the Police Maidan.
Light music may have been held at a venue with a much lesser-capacity, but there was a full house to listen to some hugely talented singers. The quality was high at the violin contests at the Govt. UPS, Muzhuthadam. Kathaprasam, which was staged at the Police Auditorium proved another popular event on Day two.
With so many events and participants, the massive dining hall too was crowded. “We served lunch to more than 17,000,” said K.K. Prakasan, Food Committee convener. “We were expecting 15,000, but there was no shortage of food. We had started at 12.30 in the afternoon and we served till almost 3.30 p.m.”
He said the committee was expecting even more people over the next few days. “On the first day of the festival, only 6,000 people came for lunch, as the competitions started only in the evening,” he said. “Now that the festival is in full swing, we should see big crowds from now on.”
