THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Showcasing Kerala’s rich and diverse folk and ritualistic art traditions, the week-long ‘Utsavam 2020’ is all set to get off to a colorful start here on February 22.
Over 5000 artistes, representing a wide variety of folk and ethnic traditions that flourished in different parts of the state, will perform during the next seven days in the 12th edition of the cultural extravaganza being organized by Kerala Tourism Jointly with Kerala Folklore Academy and District Tourism Promotion Councils. A spectacular fusion of sight and sound at 28 venues across the state, the festival will showcase an array of ethnic and rural art forms.
Minister for Co-operation, Tourism and Devaswoms Kadakampally Surendran will inaugurate ‘Utsavam 2020’ on February 22 at Madavoorpara near here at 6pm.Minister for Ports, Museums, Archaeology and Archives Ramachandran Kadannappally will deliver the keynote address at the function. Actor Nedumudi Venu will be the chief guest.
Leading folklore artists representing various traditions will be honoured at the function. They include Mannur Chandran (Porattu Kali), Parappil Karumban (Kakkarassi Natakam), Ambujakshi (Pulluvanpattu), Sister. Immanuel Prakash (Margam Kali), Thambi Payyappalli (Chavittu Natakam), P Kunhirama Peruvannan (Theyyam), Nazar Kappad (Mappila kala), Aruvi Arumughan (Paliyanritham), Rajamma Mullankuzhi (Parunthu kali), and Sreedevi Srikumar (Nadan Pattu).
The artists being honored and the performers for the festival were selected by a two-member panel comprising Folklore Academy Chairman C J Kuttappan and Bharat Bhavan member secretary Pramod Payyannur.
K. Sreekumar, Mayor, Thiruvananthapuram; Shashi Tharoor MP; Rani George, Secretary Tourism; M. Vijayakumar, Chairman, KTDC; V.K. Madhu, President, District Panchayat; K. Gopalakrishnan, District Collector; and P Bala Kiran, Director, Tourism, will also attend.
The folk arts festival aims at providing a platform to state’s traditional folk arts, many of which are on the verge of being pushed to oblivion. The event also opens a window to the state’s rich cultural heritage and artistic talents of folklore performers and troupes.
