Vasantholsavam, Light Show to Commence on Wednesday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Kanakakkunnu Palace ground in the heart of the city is all decked up for the annual festival of flowers Vasantholsavam and the Light Show, starting from the Christmas eve tomorrow.

Minister for Tourism and Public Works P A Mohamed Riyas will inaugurate the festival at a function at Kanakakkunu at 6 pm on Wednesday.

Both Vasantholsavam and Light Show will enliven the city till January 4.

Minister for General Education V Sivankutty will preside over the function and Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G R Anil will be the chief guest on the occasion.

Vasantholsavam, along with the annual Light Festival, is organized by the State Tourism Department and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) in association with various government and private institutions, enlivening the Christmas and the New Year season.

The light show is designed to align with its theme ‘Illuminating Joy, Spreading Harmony,’ highlighting Kerala’s communal harmony and social unity.

Members of Parliament Shashi Tharoor, A A Rahim, MLA VK Prasanth, Ward Councilor KR Cleetus, Tourism Director Sikha Surendran, District Collector Anu Kumari, Tourism Additional Director Sreedhanya Suresh and DTPC Secretary Satish Miranda will be present at the inaugural ceremony.

The visually fascinating event will be a double delight for visitors with the Light Festival illuminating the city’s streets and heritage structures during this period.

A stunning range of over 35,000 pots of flowering plants will be showcased at the event, curated by Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Palode.

A Chrysanthemum festival, displaying a profusion of over 8,000 chrysanthemum flowers and plants, will be a salient feature of this edition of the festival.

Also on display will be a wide variety of dahlias, marigolds, petunias, zinnias, daisies, anthuriums, lilies, and tulips, besides a range of locally grown flowers.

Several competitions have also been planned as part of the festival.

An expo of flower decoration as well as a competition in this category will also be held for adults and students. Visitors can also buy flowers and plants from the stalls put up by various nurseries. Entry ticket for adults is Rs. 50, while for children it is Rs. 30.