Keralam plans to showcase Onam before a global audience, says Tourism Minister

P.C Vishnunadh, the Tourism Minister of Keralam, expressed optimism about showcasing the state's Onam festival to the global audience. Onam season is renowned for its tourist influx, marked by boat races, pookkalam, and sadyas, a rich cultural experience that Vishnunadh believes offers visitors a glimpse into Keralam's beauty and diversity.

The Tourism department is gearing up to promote Onam globally through intensified outreach efforts. The government's designation of tourism as an industry is anticipated to stimulate public-private partnerships in this crucial sector.

Onam rituals like pookkalam and the lavish Onam sadya symbolize a spirit of participation and sharing. These cultural expressions, increasingly held in community spaces, have fostered public participation and a sense of unity. In alignment with this philosophy, the government is prioritizing cultural tourism in its policies, Vishnunadh stated. To this end, this year's Onam Tourism Week celebrations have been planned on a larger scale, featuring the finest of Keralam's classical, folk, ethnic, and popular art forms.

The annual Onam Tourism Week will be held at Kanakakunnu Palace grounds in Thiruvananthapuram on August 24. The festivities will kick off at the venue with a flag procession that will traverse through all Assembly constituencies in the district, culminating at Kanakakunnu Palace on August 23. Mr. Vishnunadh will unfurl the Onam flag to inaugurate the festivities.

This year's edition of the festival will provide over 3,000 artists representing diverse genres with performance opportunities. Traditional and folk arts have been given special consideration in the selection of programmes for this Onam Tourism Week, Vishnunadh emphasized.