The Statewide Onam Week celebrations, organised by Kerala Tourism, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at the Nishagandi auditorium on the Kanakakkunnu Palace premises on Tuesday.
Extending his Onam greetings to the people of Kerala, Mr. Chandy said the festival was one that united all in the State. The festival was considered as a collective emotion of Malayalis, one that conveyed the message of prosperity and brotherhood. “I hope the goodness of the festive season has a positive influence on our thoughts and efforts for the times to come,” he said. The wide range of cultural events scheduled as part of the celebrations would reflect upon the culture and tradition of the State, he said.
Echoing his views, Speaker N. Sakthan said the festive season would be an opportunity for all in the State to come together to work for peace and harmony. Delivering the presidential address, Tourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar said the celebrations were a confluence of renowned artists from across the State. Nearly 5,000 artists were expected to participate in cultural programmes scheduled in 29 venues spread across the Thiruvananthapuram city during the course of a week. Programmes had also been scheduled as part of the celebrations organised by Kerala Tourism in Kochi and Kozhikode.
He added that the second phase of the renovation and beautification works of Kanakakkunnu Palace will commence soon. The initial phase of the beautification project was formally launched by the Chief Minister prior to the function.
