Kerala - Kochi   

Setting the festive spirit

WOOING TOURISTS: Boat races are a major tourist attraction during the Onam season.

With a few more days to go before the Malayalam month of Chingam is here, the celebrations associated with the festival season have begun.

The snake boat races that herald traditional festivity have started. The travel and tourism industry is engaged in arranging tour packages and consumer appliances companies are busy chalking out plans to woo consumers.

The Chambakkulam, the Chambakkara and Nehru Trophy boat races are among the top races of the season. The boat races are a major tourist attraction and various resorts offer special packages to coincide with the races.

Consumer fairs are part and parcel of the festival season. The Khadi and Village Industries Board has organised a fair at the Ernakulathappan grounds. Festive wear, condiments and a variety of food items are available for those who want to finish their Onam shopping at the earliest. More fairs will be held in other parts of the city in days to come.

Various companies have announced special offers for the festival occasion. Liberal discounts and gifts such as colour TVs, refrigerators and washing machines, gold coins and diamond pendants tempt consumers by the hordes to shops. "Onam is a festival that brings along a tide of joy and sharing. The new offers aim to share the joy with the customers," says V.G. Rajagopalan, a top marketing executive of a joint venture between two consumer appliances firms.

Moving away from the traditional way of wooing the consumer, a company is organising cultural programmes this time. Kaikottikkali contests are being organised by it in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. `Onasadya,' a recipe contest, will be held at various places in the State. Such schemes are in perfect harmony with the spirit of Onam, according to Anup Jain, a top executive of the company.

Jewellery marts too have come up with special schemes.

R. Ramabhadran Pillai

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