Colourful pageantry marks end of Onam celebrations

Thiruvananthapuram: A colourful pageantry, with the participation of around 3,000 artists, marked the culmination of this year's Onam celebrations, sponsored by Kerala Tourism Department.

Thousands of people thronged both sides of the roads of the city, which was tastefully illuminated from Vellayambalam to East Fort here.

Governor P Sathasivam flagged off the procession, showcasing the rich culture and tradition of the state, from a special pavilion at Vellayambalam Monday evening.

A 'chenda melam' (percussion), involving around 100 artistes and performance of classical and folk ensembles such as pancharimelam, panchavadyam, nadaswaram-thavil, maddalam, udukku, kummattikottu, veekuchenda, kompu and the kuzhal pipe led the show.

A large number of floats of various public sector undertakings showcasing social themes also wooed spectators.

Elaborate security arrangements had put in place in and around the city for the smooth conduct of the procession.