Onam 2025: The Onam week celebrations hosted by the Kerala state government will conclude on Tuesday with a magnificent cultural parade showcasing art, tradition, and heritage in Thiruvananthapuram.
Enhancing the festivities for the Onam week, the area from Kowdiar to Manacaud in Thiruvananthapuram was adorned with vibrant lights. These lights will stay up until today, September 9, marking the culmination of the celebrations with a grand cultural parade. The procession will start at Vellayambalam and conclude at East Fort, turning the state capital into a lively center of music, dance, and cultural displays.
Governor Rajendra Arlekar will initiate the procession at 4 PM from Manaveeyam Veedhi, Vellayambalam. The event will begin with a ceremonial act by 51 artists, after which the traditional instrument kombu will be presented to tourism minister P A Mohamed Riyas.
Over 60 themed floats illustrating the state government's development initiatives, accompanied by 1,000 artists presenting both folk and modern art forms, will feature in the parade. The Onam festivities this year are being held on a larger scale, featuring approximately 10,000 artists, including those from other states, showcasing Kerala's diverse cultural heritage, which includes classical, ethnic, folk, and martial art forms.
The parade will include 91 visual and performing arts displays, with music provided by the Army band. Folk art groups from states such as Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu will take part, highlighting the theme of unity in diversity.
The cultural parade is expected to take around 90 minutes to move past each spot on its route. Special stages will host performances in front of the Public Library's VVIP pavilion, the University College VIP pavilion, and close to the Museum entrance in Kerala.
The floats will showcase Kerala's abundant heritage, film industry, literary achievements, women's empowerment, health consciousness, advancements in science and technology, and various safety messages. According to the organizers, these floats have been meticulously chosen for their modern significance and crafted in accordance with the green protocol.
The event is anticipated to be attended by the governor, chief minister, cabinet ministers, dignitaries, cultural leaders, media representatives, and foreign tourists.
