Onam-Tourism Week to Feature 340+ Events Across Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala is set to turn this year’s Onam-Tourism Week celebrations into a vibrant showcase of India’s folk traditions, with 160 folk artists from 10 states joining artists from the state for week-long festivities from August 24 to 30.

Artists from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Telangana and Tamil Nadu will present their traditional art forms at venues across Kerala. Performances will be organised in different districts in two regions, giving visitors an opportunity to experience the country’s diverse folk heritage alongside Kerala’s cultural traditions.

The visiting artists will also participate in the grand Onam procession on August 30, which will begin from Manaveeyam Veedhi at 5 pm and conclude at East Fort.

The participation of artists from outside Kerala is part of the state government’s effort to make the annual celebrations more culturally diverse and bring different regional traditions onto a common platform.

At the state level, celebrations will be held at 35 venues in Thiruvananthapuram, featuring more than 340 programmes during the week. Around 3,000 artists and backstage workers are expected to participate in the capital, while more than 8,000 artists will take part in programmes organised across Kerala.

Traditional Kerala art forms will receive special attention, with Mudiyettu, Tholpavakoothu, Padayani, Arjunanritham and Poothanum Thirayum scheduled to be performed at Nishagandhi from August 25 to 30.

The celebrations will also feature food festivals, illuminations, music and dance programmes and other cultural events. The government said the festivities are aimed at highlighting Kerala’s cultural diversity, traditional arts and tourism potential while offering visitors a broader glimpse of India’s rich folk heritage.

With performances spread across the state, Thiruvananthapuram is expected to emerge as a major centre of Onam festivities, bringing together artists and cultural traditions from across the country during the festive season.