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The week-long Onam celebrations conducted across twenty eight venues came to a conclusion with a cultural pageantry organised by Kerala Tourism that wound along the thoroughfares of the State capital. Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister of State for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation attended the ‘Ragarasam’ show staged at the Nishagandhi open-air auditorium on the penultimate day.
As many as 3,000 artistes participated in the grand pageantry featuring elements from the famed Thrissur Pooram, Uthrali Vela, Mamankam and the grand aarattu Sree Padmanabhswamy Temple, apart from other cultural and festival signatures from across God’s Own Country.
The show also showcased art forms from other parts of India as well as certain foreign countries. “There were more tableaus this time; in fact around 100. The total number of art forms at the pageantry was 150,” said Mr. A. P. Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala.
There were also art forms from outside Kerala like Kaliyattam from Puduchery, Fag and Woomer (Haryana), Sambalpuri (Odisha), Mathuri tribal dance (Andhra Pradesh) and Siddi Dhamal - a dance of African immigrants in Gujarat, besides a grand line-up of dances from Kerala’s neighbouring States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Items such as African dance and drums, Western music and B-boying street dance, Jump-rope skipping, Chinese Dragon, Cartoon characters, stilt dance and hilarious clowns gave the event a global representation.
The Kerala art forms at the pageantry included Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam, Kalaripayattu, Duff Muttu, Arabana Muttu, Margamkali, Parichamuttukali, Chavittu Natakam, Arjuna Nrittam, Vattakkali, Parunthaattam, Kummatti, Padayani, Garudan Parava, Pulikali, Karadikali, Thambolamelam, Bommayattam, Pakkanarattam and Perumbaramelam. The other attractions were Mayilattam, Ammankudam, Pampamelam and Naganrittam.
