Thrissur district team lifts the overall championship trophy of the 63rd State School Arts Festival at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
It is known as the cultural capital of Kerala. Now, Thrissur can claim to be the State’s cultural champion as well.
Thrissur took the Gold Cup at the 63rd State School Arts Festival here on Wednesday. It was after a gap of 26 years that Thrissur was finishing as the champion district at the festival, the largest of its kind in the world.
And it was after a close fight featuring three other former champions that they could kiss the cup. They finished with 1,008 points, just one more than Palakkad, the winner of 2019 and 2020.
Kannur, the defending champion, was third with 1,003 points, while Kozhikode, the 2023 winner and the most successful district in the history of the competition with 21 titles, finished fourth, with 1,002 points.
BSS Gurukulam HSS, Alathur, Palakkad, won the trophy for the best school, scoring 171 points, well ahead of second-placed Carmel HSS, Thiruvananthapuram (116). MGMHSS, Mananthavady, Wayanad, was third with 106 points.
In the Sanskrit Festival, Kasaragod, Malappuram, and Palakkad shared the top spot with 95 points each. In the Arabic Festival, Kannur, Kozhikode, and Ernakulam were the joint winners with 95 points apiece.
The Gold Cup was presented by Education Minister V. Sivankutty at the closing ceremony, which was inaugurated by Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan. Actors Tovino Thomas and Asif Ali were the chief guests at the function presided over by Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil.
BSS Gurukulam Higher Secondary School, Alathur, Palakkad, lifts championship trophy for the best school of 63rd State School Arts Festival at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit:
NIRMAL HARINDRAN
There was a full house at Central Stadium to watch Thrissur being crowned. The stadium had, on the opening day, also witnessed what must go down as the most poignant moment in the school arts festival’s history: the staging of group dance by seven girls of Vellarmala GVHSS, which was destroyed by the Wayanad landslides of last year. They danced to a song about their own tragedy.
Group dance, not surprisingly, proved the most popular event of the festival. There were excellent crowds for the competitions both in the higher secondary school and high school categories. And the brightly-dressed, gracefully dancing girls delighted the audiences with some spectacular performances.
Carmel Higher Secondary school, Vazhuthacaud, lifts the trophy for the second best school of the 63rd State School Arts Festival at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit:
NIRMAL HARINDRAN
The festival will also be remembered for introducing tribal dances — as many as five of them — as well as the smooth conduct. Even for the capital that offers plenty for the art lover round the year through different cultural events, the State School Arts Festival proved one to remember.
Published – January 08, 2025 09:31 pm IST
