logo
Onam celebrations to follow green protocol

Onam celebrations to follow green protocol

The Hindu3 days ago
The Onam cultural procession in the city that marks the finale of the State-level week-long Onam celebrations organised by the Tourism Department, will follow green protocol strictly. A recent meeting of the Onam Procession Committee held here asked various departments presenting their floats to follow the green protocol guidelines, which should also be ensured on the city premises, where the procession is winding through.
The State-level week-long Onam celebrations will start on September 3 and culminate with the iconic cultural procession on September 9 evening. The meeting also directed the participating departments to come out with innovative ideas and designs to make their floats novel and aesthetically appealing and avoid repetition and cliché.
As part of observing green protocol, waste bins and drinking water kiosks will be put up along the route of the procession. The Clean Kerala Company under the local self-government department (LSGD) will be engaged in clearing off the materials left over by the floats.
The floats, which should have a maximum 20 feet length and 16 feet height, can be based on the themes like developmental activities of the State government, social responsibility and images/visuals that reflect the activities and achievements of various departments. During the Onam celebrations, from Kowdiar to Manacaud in the city will be declared festival zone, besides decking up those areas with illumination. The annual Onam pageantry that showcases Kerala's heritage, culture and arts will be flagged off at Manaveeyam Veedhi on September 9 at 5 p.m. and will culminate at East Fort.
Minister for Education V. Sivankutty, who is also the working chairman of the organising committee, was also present at the meeting. Chairman of the Onam procession committee D.K. Murali, MLA, presided over the meeting.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

State Arts Fest returns to Thrissur after seven years; 64th edition starts Jan 7
State Arts Fest returns to Thrissur after seven years; 64th edition starts Jan 7

New Indian Express

time13 hours ago

  • New Indian Express

State Arts Fest returns to Thrissur after seven years; 64th edition starts Jan 7

THRISSUR: Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala will host the 64th Kerala State Arts Festival from January 7 to 11, after a gap of seven years. Education Minister V Sivankutty on Tuesday inaugurated the organising committee meeting at the Indoor Stadium here. In his inaugural speech, the minister made it clear that judges who participated three consecutive years in the arts festival would not be allowed to evaluate the performances this year. He added that the festival as in previous years, would be conducted by sticking to the time schedule as fair as possible. He also announced that a fresh order would be issued soon making (Onam, Christmas and Eid) celebration days at school to be working days where students do not have to wear their school uniform. He also declared that field trips should include all students regardless of their financial background. Otherwise, trips should not be conducted. 'I came across some complaints regarding the matter; when the entire class goes for a trip, some choose not to because of their financial situation. Such students should not be excluded and the school should take steps to ensure their participation,' he added. He also sought cooperation from local bodies, schools and teachers in the district to make the youth festival a memorable event for all. 'During the festival days, we will have to serve food for many. Last time, there were days when we served food for about 24,000 people at a stretch. We are planning to make arrangements to buy vegetables from students itself by encouraging farming, so that we don't have to buy them from outside,' he said. He urged the school authorities to take students to the festival venues for at least a day so that they could watch the performances. Revenue Minister K Rajan, who presided over the ceremony, noted that the 64th youth festival would be the best one the state ever had in all ways, right from organising it, to the performances. 'As the ever-rolling gold cup of the youth festival is still in Thrissur, we will work hard not to lose it this year either,' he added. Higher Education Minister R Bindu, Public Education Department Director S Shanavas, Thrissur Municipal Corporation Mayor M K Varghese, Additional Secretary of Public Education Chithra S, MLA P Balachandran and District Collector Arjun Pandian attended.

State lets children be ‘colourful butterflies' on school celebration days
State lets children be ‘colourful butterflies' on school celebration days

The Hindu

time20 hours ago

  • The Hindu

State lets children be ‘colourful butterflies' on school celebration days

Children in the State will no longer have to wear uniforms on school celebration days. General Education Minister V. Sivankutty announced the decision at the formation meeting of the State School Arts Festival reception committee here on Tuesday. He said the idea came directly from the children themselves. 'Let the little ones enjoy themselves like colourful butterflies,' the Minister said in a Facebook post. While some people praised the move, others felt it might backfire. 'A big thank you to Sivankutty sir... Let the children enjoy this special time in their lives,' one person wrote in the comments section. Another shared a different view. They recalled that in their school days, uniforms were worn only three days a week. Later, it was made five days to ensure fairness between children from rich and poor families. The idea was to avoid making less privileged children feel sad when others came in expensive clothes, they said. They added that uniforms also made it easier to spot students if they were seen wandering outside school. In their view, uniforms are still important today -- especially during sports and arts events -- as a way to keep children safe.

Bengal weavers add colour to capital's Onam season
Bengal weavers add colour to capital's Onam season

New Indian Express

timea day ago

  • New Indian Express

Bengal weavers add colour to capital's Onam season

With Onam around the corner, many are in search of a perfect Kerala saree. So, how about adding a Bengali twist to your Onam wardrobe? The Rang Mahal Bengali Weavers' Exhibition, being held at YMCA, has come to dazzle the city with designs of the quintessential Kerala saree, but done in soft, Bengali handloom. Rang Mahal, the organisation coordinating the festival, collects the textiles from over 250 weavers from the Nadia district in West Bengal. Their officials sell these fabrics in different parts of the country and ensure that monetary benefits directly go to the weavers. Sarees, kurta fabrics and shawls of different colours — lush green, royal blue, deep red — with beautiful printed designs and patterns that make them unique. The weavers have preserved around 55 traditional motifs used by their ancestors. 'No other textile manufacturer has these Bengali motifs,' explains a weaver at the exhibition. According to Sharmishta Das, co-ordinator, youngsters are increasingly patronising the exhibition. 'They understand the need for sustainable fashion. And when it blends with the cultural uniqueness, young women prefer to buy them,' she adds. Two young customers, Ambili C and Gaya Puthalathe, agreed to this. 'We often see clothing festivals of Khadi, and we wanted to try something new,' Ambili says. She adds that Bengali fashion had always felt special to her, especially the soft fabrics. While COVID nearly destroyed their business, weavers are of immense confidence that the handloom industry will rise back. 'The competition with the mass-produced machine-made clothes is tough, but the superior quality and intricate designs of handloom are what we believe will help us move forward,' explains Sharmishta.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store