Curtain goes up on 35th Malappuram district school arts fest

35th district school arts festival at Kottakkal featuring 315 events, tribal dances, and student winners in various categories.

Curtain went up on the 35th district school arts festival at Kottakkal near here on Tuesday. The five-day festival is being held at Government Raja’s Higher Secondary School, Kottakkal, and A.K.M. Higher Secondary School, Kottur.

K.K. Abid Husain Thangal, MLA, inaugurated the festival. Kottakkal Municipal chairperson K. Haneesha presided over the function. District Collector V.R. Vinod was the chief guest. Nearly 10,000 students from schools across the district are contesting in 315 events.

Five tribal arts forms such as Mangalamkali, Paniya dance, Malapulayattam, Irula dance, and Paliya dance are included in the festival from this year following demands from tribal communities across the State.

Mangalamkali is a dance ritual followed by the Mavilan tribes of North Kerala. Paniya dance is a traditional folk dance performed by the Paniya tribes in the northern regions of Kerala. Malapulayattam, also known as Chikk Attam, is a tribal dance performed by the Malapulayan tribals of Idukki district. Irula dance is a traditional folk art form performed by the Irula community in the Attappadi area of Palakkad district. Paliya dance is a traditional dance form associated with the Paliya community in the Kumali area of Idukki.

Krishnendu B. from Modern Higher Secondary School, Pottur, won the first prize in Nangiarkoothu in higher secondary category.

Ardra K.A. from Modern Higher Secondary School, Pottur, won the first prize in Ottanthullal in UP category. In the high school category, Sreenandan S. from National High School, Kulathur, won the first prize. In the higher secondary category, Alaina Suresh from Government Higher Secondary School, Thrikkavu, won the first prize.

N. Devikrishnan from CHM Higher Secondary School, Pookkolathur, won the first prize in pencil drawing in the high school category.