Vikram Maidan at West Hill getting ready to host Kerala State School Arts Festival

Kozhikode

With less than two weeks to go for the opening of the State School Arts Festival, Vikram Maidan at West Hill in Kozhikode city, which is the main venue, is getting ready for the cultural extravaganza.

The festival will be held here from January 3 to 7. Work on the main venue and other facilities there are expected to begin on Wednesday. C.P. Cheriya Mohammed, convener of the stage sub-committee, told The Hindu on Tuesday that it would be spread across 6,000 sq. ft. “The stage will be on the northern side of the ground. As many as 10,000 people can watch the performances inside the pandal. TV screens will be installed outside as well,” he said.

Space will be allotted for both print and visual media near the main venue. A few vehicles can be parked on the premises too. The work is expected to be over by December 30.

The ground is under the custody of the Madras Regiment of the Territorial Army, which has its barracks in East Hill. Though public functions are not normally allowed there, the Army authorities are reported to have handed it over considering the cultural significance of the festival. The ground is spread over around eight acres, and there is a helipad in its middle. Space for audience is coming up on the slot for the helipad. Workers are removing grass grown on the ground now.

The school arts fest is coming to Kozhikode after a gap of eight years. As there were no cultural events in the past two years owing to the pandemic, both the authorities and the city residents are all set to make it a grand event. There will be 24 venues. Flex boards and banners welcoming students from across the State have started appearing in various parts of the city. The formal inauguration of the stage work was done by Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas on Saturday.