Thrissur: The cultural capital of the state is revving up to host the 58th State School Youth Festival from January 6 to 10 at 24 stages in 231 events where over 10,000 students race for artistic honours. Work on four of the main stages has crossed halfway while the 21 committees formed to take care of different aspects have swung into action making arrangements for food and accommodation for participants and judges. Like last time, the festival is being held adhering to the green protocol.
Farm minister V. S. Sunil Kumar, the chairman of the event who hails from here, will ensure the supply of organic vegetables for meals cooked here. Pens made of paper, glasses made of bamboo, huge earthen pots to store water including drinking water ensure the green stamp. The ball will set rolling on January 4 with a grand reception for the 117 sovereign gold cup accorded by education minister C. Raveendranath and officials. The cup is set to arrive from Kozhikode district who were champions in the last edition. The ‘housewarming’ event on January 5 will launch the cooking session and this year too culinary czar Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboothiri will lead the show.
“Twenty of the stages need not be built as they are the existing halls like Sahitya Akademi hall, town hall, Sangeetha Nataka Akademi hall and others," said Sumathi K., deputy director of education, Thrissur. "Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival at 10 am on January 6 at the main venue at Thekkinkad Maidan. From this year onwards the cultural procession has been dispensed with and is being replaced by a cultural show preceding the inauguration. Thiruvathira by 1000 students is the key attraction of it. It will also feature other art forms of Kerala and Thrissur’s own Pulikali.”
