Kerala - Kozhikode   

Mood upbeat at Malabar Mahotsavam venues

Staff Reporter

The festival has something for everyone

ACTION PACKED: Kalaripayattu performed at Mananchira Maidan in Kozikode on Friday as part of Malabar Mahotsavam. - Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

KOZHIKODE: Into its second day on Friday, Malabar Mahotsavam, organised by the District Tourism Promotion Council, had the crowds thronging to festival venues to view a variety of cultural and entertainment programmes showcased.

The festival had something for everyone, for the conventional and the modern, the young and the old.

In all, the mood was upbeat, of revelry and camaraderie at the 10th mega show of Malabar, described as a `people's festival,' being conducted here from February 9 to 12.

There was dance and music, folk art performances and literary discourses to choose from, as dusk fell and a lit-up city wore a festive look.

With the Arabian Sea in the backdrop, Sudhesh Bhosle's `Entertainment Extravaganza' was a major item on the agenda, at the main venue on the beach on Friday, providing delight to the audience. The show was a crowd puller.

A Kuchpudi recital by Shailaja and troupe from Chennai was another programme at the beach that enthused viewers.

The previous evening, the audience had been treated to a soothing and mellifluous `jugalbandi.'

The strains from Ronu Mazumdar's flute had been in perfect harmony with the notes from Ustad Rafiq Khan's sitar. The audience had been kept in a mesmerising silence, except for the gentle beat of the waves in the background.

The two stalwarts rounded off the jugalbandi with a spirited `Ragupathi Raghava Rajaram,' as a tailpiece, much to the delight of listeners.

Literary festival

M.N. Vijayan, critic, who inaugurated the literary festival at the Town Hall, opined that there was life in literature that sought to differ. It was such literature that would ultimately survive.

Such works would stand the test of time and would be revived. He spoke of the quest of the human being to calm a restless mind.

The poets' meet was a big draw. A sizable crowd of literati listened in rapt attention as poet after poet recited verses of relevance to contemporary life.

Rose Mary, poet, inaugurated the meet.

Poonoor K. Karunakaran, M.N. Paloor, K.C. Umesh Babu, Kanesh Punoor, P.P. Sreedharanunni and T.P. Rajeevan were some of the poets who recited their poetry on the occasion.

The play Kuriyeadthu Thatri was staged at the Town Hall later.

The classical Carnatic recital by Palai C.K. Ramachandran at the Padmashree auditorium provided a traditional flavour to the festival.

Indigenous folk art forms of Malabar, such as Mudiyettu, Oppana and Dafmuttu, were showcased at Mananchira Square.

Treat for foodies

For the general public, the experience of shopping for food at the food festival organised as part of the Malabar Mahotsavam on the beachfront is proving to be a great treat.

`Pick and choose your dinner' was the offer at the food fete, showcasing a variety of cuisines.

The culinary delicacies offered by major hotels and catering institutes in the city include Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Continental and Mughalai, with the Mappila cuisine of Malabar occupying a pride of place.

For the gourmet, the food fete was the ideal venue to round off the day after attending the cultural programmes.

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