Prizes to winners of global painting contest conducted by Kerala Tourism distributed

Prizes to the winners of the International Online Painting Competition for Children conducted by Kerala Tourism as part of its innovative campaigns to ramp up the State’s standing as an all-season experiential destination were given away. 

Steven David from Bangladesh and Varnana Ratheesh from Kerala received the top prize among all the categories from Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas.

Another eight entries in the international section also received prizes. Nika Hristic (Serbia), Martin Lyuboslavov Lambev (Bulgaria), Irina Barabanova (Russia), Almira Makhsetova (Uzbekistan), Sinali Ruwanya Thushmini Peiris Heraliyawalage (Sri Lanka), Alexander Bogdan Viktor Metzger (Germany), Senudi Chithulima Kariyawasam Kariyawasam Idipalage (Sri Lanka) and Chloe Hannah Marsh (the U.K.) won the prizes in the international category.

Dolbee Rani Parida (Orissa), Dhiya H. (Tamil Nadu), Kritika Kushwaha (Maharashtra), Skanda R. (Tamil Nadu), and S.B. Shravantica (Tamil Nadu) won the prizes in India category. The winners from Kerala are Jaganath K.M., Malavika V.P., and Sahasra Vinu. 

The competition was held in three categories—for contestants from abroad, for those from Indian States other than Kerala and for those from within Kerala, all in the 4-16 age group.

On village life

The winners in the foreign and India sections will get an opportunity to visit Kerala for five days along with their family members. The winners in the Kerala section will receive booking coupons for a two-day stay at any of the KTDC’s premium hotels. The theme of this edition of the competition was ‘Village Life in Kerala.’ The event generated keen response from across the country and abroad with 57,308 contestants submitting entries. Of these, 4,620 came from 132 foreign countries, 46,464 from various Indian States, and 6,224 from within Kerala.