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Preserving the tradition of art forms

FOCUS ON CULTURE: The traditional art forms of Kerala such as Chakyarkoothu will be staged during ‘Utsavam.”

The curtain will go up on ‘Utsavam,’ a five-month-long cultural festival featuring nearly 200 art forms ranging from folk art to ritual art, at a State-level inauguration at Bekal on November 19.

The traditional art forms of Kerala, including dance and dance-based programmes, will be staged from 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. on all Saturdays between November 24 and March 29 at select 36 centres in the 14 districts of the State. In all, 684 programmes will be staged as part of the festival.

Billed as the first of its kind, ‘Utsavam’ is being organised with the support of Kerala Folklore Academy. Besides promoting traditional art forms, the event is expected to help Kerala gain an upper hand in the cultural tourism sector.

Renowned artistes will present ‘Arabanmuttu,’ ‘Arjunanrutham,’ ‘Belikkala,’ ‘Chattu,’ ‘Eruthukali,’ ‘Kooliyattom,’ ‘Manpattu,’ ‘Pallukali,’ ‘Kambadikali,’ ‘Vattakali,’ ‘Thidambu Nritham’ and ‘Thacholi kali.’

Minister for Tourism and Home Kodiyeri Balakrishnan will inaugurate the festival at Bekal on November 19. The District Tourism Promotion Council has been entrusted with the task of organising the event in all the districts. A sum of Rs.1.5 crore had been allocated by Kerala Tourism for the festival.

Four centres in and around tourist spots have been identified in Thiruvananthapuram to stage the programmes, two each in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kasaragod, and three each in Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kannur districts.

‘A cultural calendar detailing the venue, date and performance will be published. Detailed write-up about the art form will be made available on the micro site to be launched by Kerala Tourism for Utsavam,’ said festival coordinator T. V. Prashant.

Lecture-demonstration sessions will be held. Senior artistes in various fields will be honoured as part of the festival.

S. Anil Radhakrishnan

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