Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will flag off a colourful Onam pageantry that will bring the curtain down on the week-long Onam celebrations organised by the State government.
The pageantry, being hosted by the State capital as it tries to put behind two years of COVID-19 pandemic, will kick off at Manaveeyam Veedhi here at 5 p.m. on Monday.
Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty, at a press meet here on Sunday afternoon, said Minister for Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Mr. Sivankutty, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G.R. Anil, and Minister for Transport Antony Raju would be present at the flag-off event.
The pageantry, from Vellayambalam up to East Fort, would reflect the cultural diversity of the State and the country, Mr. Sivankutty said. It would include tableaux, various art forms, panchavadyam and other percussion, bands of various armed services, and the mounted police. Nearly 75 floats and an equal number of art forms would be part of the procession.
Tableaux of Union and State governments; quasi-government institutions; Local Self-government, Cooperation, and other government departments would be presented as part of the procession. The city-based Bharat Bhavan would present nearly 40 programmes. Art forms from 10 other States would also be showcased. National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets would walk in the front carrying decorated parasols (muthukuda).
Folk songs will also be presented by various cultural groups at four venues. Two pavilions will be set up—one a VIP pavilion for the Chief Minister, Ministers, and MLAs to view the procession in front of University College and another in front of Public Library for children of the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare and residents of homes under the Social Justice Department.
The pageantry would likely conclude by 8 p.m. The valedictory function would then be held at Nishagandhi auditorium. Mr. Riyas would inaugurate the programme. He would also give away prizes for the best floats. Actor Asif Ali would be the chief guest. Mr. Sivankutty would preside, pageantry committee chairperson D.K. Murali, MLA, said.
Heavy police deployment would be done for the pageantry. Women police personnel, shadow police police in mufti, and NCC cadets, too would be present. Drones too would be pressed into service, District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram city) G. Sparjan Kumar said.
It would be a holiday for all educational institutions in the city after 3 p.m. Nirmala Bhavan and Christ Nagar schools, located at Kowdiar, would be closed for the day, District Collector Geromic George said.
Traffic regulations would also be in place from Monday morning.
