Coming to beat the lockdown blues of students is Cyclolsavam 2020. Billed as the first of its kind event in the country, the online international bicycle cultural festival ‘Cyclolsavam – Festival on Pedals’ will provide a platform for students to showcase their talents.
Organised by 20 young bicycle ambassadors, the virtual festival from October 2 to 5 has competitions, seminars, and film screenings lined up. The city Corporation, Indus Cycling Embassy, and Kumble, a group of former NSS volunteers, will support the event, aimed at getting young and the old to embrace cycling.
Besides Malayalam elocution, Malayalam essay writing, and a Malayalam book review event, the other programmes include competitions in abstract painting, pencil drawing, photography, poster making, and flower arrangements on bicycle flower holders. The book review will be on Aamsterdaamile Saikkilukal authored by Raju Raphael.
Artist George Fernandez will take a session on abstract painting and flower arrangements on bicycle flower holders to familiarise people with what is in store before the contests are held. The contests will be held in four categories – up to class IV, class V to VIII, class IX to XII, and college and above. Competitions will be held for the differently abled in each category.
Screening on film on bicycles will be held on the Indus Cycling Embassy website on all four days of the event.
Two pre-events are also being planned in connection with the Cyclolsavam. Cyclothons will be held from September 21 to 27 in three categories – classes V toVIII, classes IX to XII, and college and above. The distances for the competition will be 5 km, 10 km, and 15 km, respectively. As it will not be held as a group event, participants will have to download the app Strava from the Google Play Store to track the distance cycled. Certificates will also be given away on the basis of carbon footprint reduced.
The second event is a 151-km ride to Kottarakara and back on October 1 in connection with the 151st birth anniversary of Gandhiji.
