Kozhikode gears up for Onam celebrations
Kozhikode is preparing for extensive Onam festival celebrations from August 22 to 30, featuring floral carpet competitions and cultural parades. The event includes a major 'Local Body Pookkalam Competition' involving 91 local government institutions with strict eco-friendly guidelines.
Why it matters
The event highlights the intersection of cultural preservation and modern administrative governance in promoting regional tourism and community engagement.
Kozhikode district is preparing for a grand array of celebrations for Onam this year, with events scheduled to take place across various locations from August 22 to 30.
The festivities will officially kick off on August 22 with an Onam Pookkalam (floral carpet) competition, organised by the Onam celebrations committee led by K. Jayanth, MLA, as chairman, and District Collector M.S. Madhavikutty as general convener. Ahead of the main events, a heraldic parade will be held at 3 p.m. on August 23, marching from Kozhikode South Beach to Freedom Square.
A major highlight of this year’s festival is the ‘Local Body Pookkalam Competition 2026’, jointly organised by the Tourism department, District Tourism Promotion Council, Kozhikode, and the district administration. Ninety-one local self-government institutions across 11 clusters, including grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities, and the Kozhikode Corporation, will compete simultaneously by creating floral carpets at their respective headquarters.
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