The curtain will come down on the week-long Onam celebrations, organised by the State Tourism Department, with a cultural pageantry in the State capital on Saturday evening.
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will flag off the pageantry, comprising floats that showcase classical, ethnic, and folk traditions of the State to the acommpaniment of musical instruments, at 5 p.m. at Manaveeyam Veedhi.
Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer will be the chief guest.
Minister for Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas will hand over the traditional wind instrument ‘kombu’ to the main artistes to kick off the percussion ensemble.
Minister for General Education and Labour V. Sivankutty, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G.R. Anil, and Minister for Transport Antony Raju will be present on the occasion.
Mr. Riyas said the show, for which the government would spend ₹34 lakh, would offer vivid glimpses into the diverse artistic and cultural heritage of the country and the State. The pageantry would strictly adhere to the green protocol.
Nearly 3,000 artistes will participate in the pageantry that will feature 60 floats. As many as 10 artforms will be from other States. Nearly 180 artistes will present Lavani dance from Maharashtra, Badhai dance from Madhya Pradesh, Tappeta Gullu folk dance from Andhra Pradesh, Sambalpuri folk dance from Odisha, Chari folk dance from Rajasthan, Dangi from Gujarat, Bodo folk dance from Assam, Thappu from Tamil Nadu, Veeragase dance from Karnataka, and Mayurnatya from Uttar Pradesh.
Display of traditional musical ensemble and artforms connected to festive and cultural programmes across the State will be a highlight of the pageantry.
Mounted police, bands from armed forces, men in the State’s traditional attire displaying pearl-studded parasols, and Mohiniyattam dancers with palm-leaf umbrellas will take part in the procession that will feature Velakali, Venchamaram, and Alavattam, besides artforms such as Theyyam, Kathakali, Padayani, Pulikali, Oppana, Margamkali, Duffmuttu, Thiruvathirakkali, Mayyora Nritham, Garudan Parava, and Chavittunadakam.
There will be floats of Union government and State governments, quasi-government establishments, local self-government and co-operative institutions.
The VVIP pavilion for the Onam pageantry will be set up in front of the Public Library and a VIP pavilion in front of University College. Artforms will also be performed on a special stage near the Museum gate. Diffrently abled children will have special seating arrangements, as well as tourists.
Elaborate security arrangements and traffic regulations have been made for the smooth progress of the procession, which will go via Vellayambalam and conclude at East Fort.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Onam celebrations on August 27.
