(Disclaimer: Only the headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed)
The 10-day Bekal International Beach Festival will begin on Christmas Eve and come to an end in the new year!
Published Dec 22, 2022 | 4:23 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 22, 2022 | 4:23 PM
View of the beach from Bekal Fort - Kasaragod. (Creative Commons)
The ‘Spice Coast’ in the far north of Kerala, better known as North Malabar, will bask in a myriad of colours and bathe in the pomp and splendour of the cultural extravaganza called “Bekal International Beach Festival” from Saturday, 24 December.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate this first-ever 10-day international beach festival that aims to capture the wholeness and the essence of the district’s cultural and artistic uniqueness at the majestic Bekal Beach Park.
Around five lakh people from across the world are set to revel at the festival that will be staged at the three venues of Chandragiri, Thejaswini, and Payaswini, the organisers said.
The festival, which also aims to revitalise the district’s development by showcasing its potential, will offer a feast of cultural and musical nights, along with food festivals to highlight the cuisine of Kasaragod, exhibitions, and tour programmes.
Beach sports, to indulge the adventurous side of international visitors, are expected to be the prime attraction of the fest.
Tourists from different parts of the world, especially from the Middle East, are expected to arrive in large numbers.
A host of famed artists, including the likes of the Nooran Sisters, Sithara Krishnakumar, Vidhu Prathap, Shabnam Riyaz, Mohammed Aslam, Praseetha Chalakkudi, Mattannur Sankarankutty Marar, and Stephen Devassy, among others, will perform during the festival.
The other events to be staged include helicopter rides, a robotic show, a kite fest, a flower show, sand art, water sports, a bridal fashion contest, a beauty cutie-kids fashion show, a national business trade expo, a B2C flea market, an education expo, an automobile expo, and an aqua show.
A special tour package “Yathrashree” is being made available for tourists through Kudumbashree to explore exotic tourist destinations in the Kasaragod district.
The tourists can also experience the traditional food of Kasaragod, as well as the arts of Theyyam, Alamikkali, and Yakshagana.
CH Kunhambu, MLA, noted that the festival would reflect the historical face of Kasaragod. “By conducting the festival, the diverse identity and culture-rootedness and legacy of Kasaragod — also called “Sapthabhasha Sangamabhoomi” (the land where seven languages meet) — can be proudly conveyed to a global audience,” he said.
He complimented the locals for their wholehearted support in breaking caste-religion-political barriers to organise this event that is expected to be grand.
Kunhambu said that the festival would reflect a cross-section of the culture and the unique identity of the land.
National artistes will stage their events at Chandragiri, while Thejaswini will witness the programmes of Kudumbashree workers, and in Payaswini, the artists from the district will stage their traditional art forms.
Prominent figures from political, cultural, and literary spheres will deliver cultural talks.
A total of two and a half lakh tickets have already been sold, said the Udma MLA. The event also conforms to the Green Protocol, which envisions the use of reusable materials as a part of mitigating waste generation so that the degradable residues can be converted either into compost manure or as biogas.
Kunhambu stated that Kasaragod will become a mini-India by embracing and parading its artistic, cultural, linguistic, and social diversities during the festival. The venue is spread across 50 acres.
Over 1,000 international, national, and local artists will perform at the beach festival, while eminent personalities like Cuban Ambassador Alejandro Simancas Marin are expected to grace the event, an official statement said.
Festival tickets can be bought online and also through Kudumbashree and Cooperative banks.
The Bekal International Beach Festival is organised by Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC), in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council, Kudumbashree, Asmi Holidays, and the local self-government bodies in the district, the statement added.
The event will draw to a close on 2 January.
(Disclaimer: Only the headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed)
