Tourism News

International Kayaking Festival to be back in Kozhikode after Two Years

Published in Newsletter Issue No. 346 - June 2022

Kozhikode district will play host to the International Kayaking Competition-Malabar River Festival at at Thusharagiri after a gap of two years, caused by the COVID pandemic.

A meeting chaired by Tourism Minister Mr P. A. Mohamed Riyas has decided to hold the eighth edition of the festival from August 12 to 14.
The kayaking festival, which was started in 2013, has grown into a major tourism event in Kozhikode district over seven seasons, with kayakers from various parts of the world participating in it.

The festival was able to project Chalipuzha, Chaliyar and Iruvazhinji rivers in the district as world-class destinations for whitewater kayaking. The event is held in various categories including slalom, boater cross, downriver, and super final extreme races. It used to be the only whitewater kayaking championship in South India for a long time. 

The top scorers in the male and female categories are given the titles of Rapid Raja and Rapid Rani respectively.

The Malabar River Festival is organised by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society with the help of the District Tourism Promotion Council and the grama panchayats of Kodenchery and Thiruvambady.