Govt Allots Rs. 40 Lakhs for Malabar River Fest

KOZHIKODE:
The Tourism Department has allocated Rs. 40 lakhs for organizing the Malabar River Festival 2025 and the International Kayaking Competition, an annual event that has positioned the state as an international destination for adventure sports.

The festival, scheduled in July, is organized by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) in association with the Kozhikode District Tourism Promotion Council, the District Panchayat with the technical collaboration of the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association (IKCA).

Tourism Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas will attend a meeting to be held at the Kozhikode Collectorate on May 31, called for forming the organizing committee for the event.

The Minister will also distribute the media awards instituted in connection with last year’s Malabar River Festival on the occasion.

P. Chandrababu (Deshabhimani) and V Mithran (Malayala Manorama) have been selected for the award for the best reporting in print media. For news photography, the winners are Abu Hashim and Sajeesh Shankar (both Malayala Manorama).

The Best Visual Media reporters are Shida Jagat and Lydia Jacob (both Media One) and Disna Suresh (Janam TV). Rafeeq Thottumukkam (CTV) and Sanju Pottammal (Media One) won the awards for Best Cameraman.

The Malabar River Festival will be held along the Iruvazhinjipuzha and the Chalipuzha rivers in the last week of July, 2025. The International Kayaking Competition, which forms part of the Malabar River Festival, will have competitions in seven categories including slalom, boater cross and down river kayaking.

Over 100 kayakers from within India and participants from more than 20 countries are expected to be competing in this year’s event.

Competitions will be separate for international players as well as for national and regional categories.

The event aims at positioning Kerala as a global hub of adventure tourism, promote white water kayaking in south India and internationally showcase Kerala’s riverine system.

As a run-up to the Malabar River Festival 2025, various adventure sports events will be organised in eight panchayats and municipalities in Kozhikode district.