Kallada Jalotsavam to be held on September 23

The 54th Kallada Jalotsavam and the second leg of the 6th Champions Boat League (CBL), organised by the State Tourism department, will be held on the Kallada river on Wednesday (September 23, 2026), said Ullas Kovoor, MLA, during a press meet held here on Saturday.

Tracing its roots back 53 years, the Kallada Jalotsavam originally commenced near the railway bridge close to the Veerabhadraswamy temple. However, the event had to be temporarily suspended due to the 2018 floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the CBL resumed after the pandemic, small boat competitions were omitted, which gradually reduced local community participation. Subsequently, in 2024, Mundrothuruthu grama panchayat and the Kallada Jalotsavam Committee successfully revived the traditional festival on the 28th day of Onam, with the Jalotsavam and the CBL initially being held on separate days.