Kalolsavam| Kannur takes the gold cup home after 23 years

Kollam celebrates 62nd State School Arts Festival with Kannur winning gold cup after 23 years.

Around 4.30 p.m. on Monday, Asramam Maidan here is a sea of humanity. As the points tally gets updated for one last time, a loud cheer erupts and some students break into an impromptu dance. With Kannur clinching the gold cup after a long gap of 23 years, the 62nd edition of State School Arts Festival, a five-day cultural extravaganza, ended on a high note in Kollam.

While previous champions Kozhikode scored 949, three points less than Kannur (952), Palakkad stood in the third position with 938 points. Actor Mammootty, the guest of honour, who added the extra glam quotient to the closing ceremony, reminded the students that their artistic pursuits shouldn’t be affected by festival results.

Inaugurating the valedictory, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said that the district had wholeheartedly embraced the celebration of arts. “School arts festivals are venues where everyone comes together to promote young talents,” he said, adding that the dip in number of complaints points towards organisational excellence.

Presiding over the function, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said that the festival held in Kollam will go down in history for its popularity and people’s participation.

“It is the first time in history that the results of all the events are announced before the start of the closing ceremony,” said General Education Minister V. Sivankutty.

Despite the heavy influx of appeals and related logistic issues, the festival concluded on time. While 12,107 students competed in various events, Kozhikode district had the highest number of participants (1,001). The least number of participants was from Idukki district (715).

BSS Gurukulam Higher Secondary School, Alathur, was the school that brought maximum number of students to the festival. While a total of 205 judges were part of the festival, there were hardly any complaints. It was the exemplary coordination of various government departments that made the organisation flawless. More than 800 policemen were assigned for security arrangements every day while 3,200 student volunteers, including the members of the Student Police Cadets, National Cadet Corps, Scouts and Guides, National Service Scheme, and Junior Red Cross, also offered their services.