Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan flags off the closing day pageantry of the 'Onam Tourism Week Celebrations', in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Keralam Governor Rajendra Arlekar and Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan are also seen.
Curtains came down on the week-long, official Onam celebrations of the State government on Sunday evening with a colourful pageantry that showcased Keralam’s rich traditions, art forms and aspirations. Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan flagged off the closing-day procession from a specially-erected pavilion near the Lok Bhavan gate at Kowdiar shortly after 5 p.m. All the way from Kowdiar to East Fort, thousands of people lined the roadsides to watch the performers and floats pass by.At the start of the event, the Vande Mataram was rendered in full followed by the National Anthem. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Ministers K. Muraleedharan, Roji M. John, C.P. John, Bindhu Krishna, P.C. Vishnunadh and K.A. Thulasi, and Mayor V.V. Rajesh were present.Leading the pageantry was ‘Mahabali’ in a decked-up ‘chariot.’ More than 60 government departments and institutions and around 100 folk and traditional art forms were on display on Sunday. The pageantry featured floats covering 69 government departments and over 100 traditional and folk art forms. This year, the participants also included cultural troupes from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. As dusk fell over the city, the stretch from Kowdiar to LMS Junction was illuminated with festive lights.Earlier in the day, Mr. Arlekar and Mr. Satheesan received the Vice-President at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. Traffic restrictions had been imposed in the city on Sunday on account of the pageantry and Mr. Radhakrishnan’s visit. The police had also declared the airspace within a one-km radius of the Lok Bhavan a ‘red zone’ in view of the Vice-President’s visit. Published - August 30, 2026 07:59 pm IST
