Rain casts a shadow on Onam fete cultural procession on September 9

The forecast of rains with occasional heavy spells seems to have cast a shadow on the cultural procession to be taken out in connection with the culmination of the Onam Week celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday (September 8, 2025). The Onam Week celebrations led by the Tourism department will conclude on Tuesday with cultural procession being flagged off by Governor Rajendra Arlekar at 4 p.m. on Manaveeyam Veedhi.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for the district, warning of heavy rains in the range of 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm in 24 hours on Tuesday (September 8, 2025). Meanwhile, amid the threat of rain, elaborate arrangements have been made for the culmination of the Onam week celebration. The arrival of the cultural procession will be announced by 51 artists with an orchestra of different musical instruments, including blowing conch shells.

The procession, which will start from Vellayambalam and terminate at East Fort, will feature cultural art forms performed by more than a thousand artistes and 59 floats. There will be around 60 floats from various departments depicting the development activities of the State government. As many as 91 art forms, including visual and audio art forms and a band orchestra by the Army, are the major highlights of the procession.

Based on the theme of ‘Unity in Diversity’, rural art forms from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will be featured in the procession. Art forms such as Pookavadi, Onapottan, Singari Melam, Chendamelam, African Band, Kiwi Dance, and Dragon Theyyam, etc., will also be present in the procession. The themes of the floats will be based on Kerala’s heritage, cinema, literature, women empowerment, women’s safety, health habits, science and technology and life safety messages.

The floats have been selected based on seasonal significance, and the floats have been prepared adhering to green protocol. The art forms will be presented in front of the VVIP pavilions arranged in front of the Public Library, University College, and on a special stage near the Museum Gate. It is estimated that the procession will take about one-and-a-half hours to cross a point. A special pavilion will also be prepared near the VVIP pavilion for foreign tourists to view the procession.