Tourism News
'God’s Own Country' in a Festive Mode
Kerala has moved into a festive mode in the peak tourism season. In order to enthrall both domestic and foreign tourists as well as its own citizens, Kerala Tourism has drawn the curtains up for its annual month-long cultural fiesta – Utsavam that began on 29 December. Programmes as part of Utsavam are being staged at 60 venues in all the 14 districts of Kerala. The event will conclude on 19 January 2014. More than 80 art forms are being staged with 280 performances across the districts on all Saturdays and Sundays at 6.00 pm.
“The festival is for the people of Kerala and for our guests from outside the State and the country,” said Minister for Tourism A. P. Anil Kumar after inaugurating the event on 26 December at the Bekal Fort in Kasaragod. The inaugural day of Utsavam was marked by the performance – Rhythm of Kerala, a dance medley based on tribal, classical and folk traditions of Kerala and performed by well-known artistes.
“This carefully planned event is also about taking the destination of Kerala to a higher level, so as to give an aesthetic experience to the visitors, appealing to their intellectual sensibilities,” said Mr. Suman Billa Secretary, Kerala Tourism.
“It is yet another occasion for the local people, travellers and art lovers to be part of an exciting cultural treat of this magnitude,” said Mr. Harikishore S. Director, Kerala Tourism.
Utsavam (meaning festival in Malayalam) was launched as an annual event in 2007 to promote traditional performing art forms of Kerala. The debut event itself fetched Kerala Tourism the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award 2008 in the Heritage and Culture category.
For details of programmes visit :- http://www.keralatourism.org/utsavam/
