District School Arts Festival to begin at Neyyattinkara on November 25

Nearly 7,000 students from 12 sub-districts will take part in 254 events held across 15 venues at the festival

Curtain will rise on the District School Arts Festival at Neyyattinkara near here on Monday (November 25).

Nearly 7,000 students from 12 sub-districts will take part in 254 events held across 15 venues at the festival, which will conclude on Friday (November 29).

Registration will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday. Competitions in non-stage events will begin at 10 a.m., even though the inaugural will be held at 3 p.m. Thiruvananthapuram Deputy Director of Education Subin Paul will hoist the flag at 3 p.m. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G.R. Anil will inaugurate the festival at 3.30 p.m. Shashi Tharoor, MP, will deliver the keynote address. K. Ansalan, MLA, will preside.A cultural extravaganza will be held as part of the inaugural.

Main venue

In the morning, the non-stage events will get under way at the main venue – Government Boys Higher Secondary School (HSS), Neyyattinkara. These include painting, water colours, cartoon, oil painting, and those held as part of Arabic and Sanskrit festivals such as essay writing, quiz, story-writing, poetry, and so on.

At 11 a.m., the popular band melam event will be held at Municipal grounds.

Simultaneous to the inauguration, stage events will get under way at 4 p.m. at venues other than 1 to 4, that is Government Boys HSS and Government Girls HSS. The events at venues 1 to 4 are expected to begin around 6 p.m. and conclude by midnight.

The main stage events on the day include Thiruvathira, Vanchipattu, Kathakali, Chakyarkoothu, Nangiarkoothu, Chenda/Thayambaka, Chendamelam, Panchavadyam, Aksharaslokam, Ashtapadi, Koodiyattom, Sanskrit elocution, story-telling, Arabic song, ghazal, and recitation.

On the first day, more than 2,000 participants are expected to take part in the events.

Some of the other venues include JBS, Neyyattinkara; St. Philip’s, Neyyattinkara; Town Hall; Town Lower Primary School; Scout Hall; and St. Theresa’s Convent.

Tribal art forms

The inclusion of tribal art forms this year is the reason for the increase in the number of venues this year.

As many as 16 subcommittees, led by teachers from various organisations, have been formed for the smooth conduct of the festival. A 101-member organising committee, with Neyyattinkara municipal chairperson P.K. Rajmohanan as head, has also been formed.

The festival will follow the green protocol, and so plastic bottles should be avoided at the venues.

Food to the hundreds of participants and their teachers will be served at Government Girls HSS, Neyyattinkara.

Published - November 24, 2024 09:07 pm IST