By Ashraf Padanna
Thiruvananthapuram
Federal Tourism Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma will attend the “Ragarasam” show at Nishagandhi auditorium in the Kerala state capital today as part of the week-long Onam celebrations that began on Tuesday.
The state government’s Kerala Tourism authority will showcase some of the outstanding performers of the country on the concluding day.
The show, “Ragarasam - A journey through ethnic melodies and rhythm” features well-known composer and singer Kavalam Sreekumar, percussionist Mattannur Sankarankutty Marar (chenda) and keyboard player and music director Prakash Ulleri performing. Actor Mukesh and his dancer wife Methil Devika will present a programme during the show.
A colourful cultural pageantry marking its conclusion will wind along the thoroughfares of Thiruvananthapuram tomorrow evening with 3,000 artistes participating in it.
They include famed Thrissur Pooram, Uthrali Vela and Mamankam upstate besides the grand aarattu of Padmanabhswamy temple among others highlighting Kerala’s rich percussion, music and dance traditions.
It will also showcase art forms from other parts of India as well as certain foreign countries.
A “chenda melam” involving 100 artistes, propped by the ornate “alavattam” fans and gorgeous fly-whisks (“venchamaram”), will lead the show that will have 100-plus ladies and men carrying regal parasols.
With around 40 ethnic chenda drums and kompu horns to their accompaniment, the ritualistic Velakali war-dance will add flavour to the show that will be flagged off by Kerala Governor P Sathasivam.
“There will be more tableaus this time; in fact around 100. The total number of art-forms at the pageantry will be 150,” state Tourism Minister AP Anilkumar told a news conference here. “We plan to make this event an especially memorable one.”
The tableaus will mostly focus on current issues such as organic farming and organ donation.
Federal Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari will distribute prizes at the valedictory ceremony.
It will come up with exhilarating “Rajarani” horses, “Mayooranrittam” and “Parunthaattam” dance to the frenzied rustic “Neyyandi melam” orchestra.
No less than 70 artistes will perform three forms of sacrificial flowers-laden “Kavadi” dance. conjuring up swirling formations.
The other prominent displays will be Kerala Police’s horse cavalcade, CRPF band music, “Poothan-Thira” from the erstwhile “Valluvanad” fiefdom (of central Kerala), besides a total 1,500 artistes presenting classical and folk ensembles such as “pancharimelam”, panchavadyam”, “nadaswaram-thavil”, “maddalam”, “udukku”, “kummattikottu”, “veekuchenda”, “kompu” and the “kuzhal” pipe.
While a ladies’ “shinkarimelam” will be a cynosure, there will also be a drums fusion by 25 artistes.
Among the arts froms from outside Kerala will be “Kaliyattam” from Puduchery, Fag & Woomer (Haryana), “Sambalpuri” (Odisha), “Mathuri” tribal dance (Andhra Pradesh) and the “Siddi Dhamal” dance by migrant Africans in Gujarat, besides a grand line-up of dances from Kerala’s neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states.
Giving a pan-global representation will be items such as African dance and drums, Western music and street dances, jump-rope skipping, the Chinese dragon, cartoon characters, stilt dance and an array of clowns.
The Kerala arts at the pageantry will be Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam, Yakshagana, Kalaripayattu, Duff Muttu, Arbana Muttu, Margamkali, Parichamuttukali, Chavittu Natakam, Arjuna Nrittam, Vattakkali, Parunthaattam, Kummatti, Padayani, Garudan Parava, Pulikali, Karadikali, Thambolamelam, Bommayattam, Pakkaranaattam and Perumbaramelam.
The floats brought out by the following government departments, the winners of the competition will be given first and second prizes: central PSUs, Kerala government departments, state PSUs, district tourism promotion councils, state and district-level primary-sector cooperatives, banking institutions, private firms and best art forms.
The government has declared holiday for government offices and schools after 3 pm in the city.
An ‘Oppana’ dance progarmme at the Nishagandhi event.
