Thiruvananthapuram: Thiruvananthapuram is gearing up to host the 63rd State School Kalolsavam, which will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on January 4.
The event will kick off at 9 am with flag hoisting by the Director of General Education at the Central Stadium, the main venue for the festival. The official inauguration will take place at 10 am at MT Nila in the Central Stadium. The inauguration ceremony will be presided over by Minister of General Education V Sivankutty and Principal Secretary of General Education Rani George will be present. Several prominent figures, including Ministers GR Anil, K Rajan, AK Saseendran, Roshi Augustine, KN Balagopal, and 29 other distinguished guests, will attend the inauguration ceremony.
The festivities will feature a special welcome song for the Kalamotsavam, composed by Sreenivasan Thuneri and arranged by Kavalam Sreekumar. The performance will involve children from Kalamandalam and public schools. A group dance by students from Wayanad Vellarmala GHSS will also be part of the opening ceremony. Following the opening, the Mohiniyattam competition for high school girls will be held at the first venue. The competitions will take place across 24 venues on the opening day.
Competition venues and digital assistance
The competitions will expand to 25 venues in subsequent days, with the Central Stadium serving as the main venue. The venues are named after Kerala’s major rivers. The entire event will be broadcast live on the Kite Victors channel. Additionally, digital facilities have been set up to display the results at each venue, and a mobile app, “Utsavam,” is available on the Playstore for real-time updates on competition progress. Students who secure an A grade in any competition will receive a one-time cultural scholarship of Rs 1,000.
Around 15,000 students are expected to participate in the competitions, alongside the Sanskrit Festival and Arabic Literature Festival, which will be held in conjunction with the Kalolsavam. For the first time in the history of the festival, five indigenous dance forms—'Mangalamkali', 'Paniya Nritham', 'Paliya Nritham', 'Malapulaya Attam', and 'Irula Nritham'—will be part of the competition. The Sanskrit Festival will take place at the Government Model HSS and Government Model LPS Thaikkad schools, while the Arabic Literature Festival will be hosted at the Shishu Kshema Samiti Hall, Thaikkad, and the Government Model HSS Thaikkad. The events will include a Sanskrit seminar, scholarly tributes, and an Arabic exhibition.
Golden Cup procession has reached capital
The Golden Cup procession, which began in Kasaragod, reached Thiruvananthapuram on Friday morning. Minister V.Sivankutty will receive the cup during a procession scheduled to reach PMG at 5 pm. After being welcomed by several schools, the procession will then make its way to the Central Stadium.
Registration
Registration for the Kalolsavam started at SMV Higher Secondary School in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, with separate counters for 14 districts. A dedicated help desk has also been set up. Transport facilities have been arranged for contestants arriving at the railway station and bus stands, ensuring they are taken to the registration counters, accommodation, and food stalls. Vehicles arriving from different districts will be identified with special stickers.
Food arrangements and emergency services
The Putharikandam ground will host food distribution, managed by Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboothiri. The food stall, designed to serve 4,000 people at a time, will begin operations on the evening of Friday. Sivankutty visited the food pantry to assess the preparations He was accompanied by Food Minister GR Anil, MLA Kadakampally Surendran and Mayor Arya Rajendran. To ensure the safety and well-being of participants, doctors and ambulances will be stationed at all venues, with drinking water facilities also provided. Haritha Karma Sena will manage cleaning activities across the venues and accommodation areas.
Closing Ceremony
The grand closing ceremony of the festival will take place on January 8 at 5 pm. Chaired by the Minister of Public Education, the event will be inaugurated by Opposition leader VD Satheesan, with film star Tovino Thomas as the chief guest.
