Kollam: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the 62nd Kerala State School Kalolsavam at 10.30 am today .14,000 talents from all 14 districts of the state will compete in 239 disciplines in the two categories of high school and higher secondary, at 24 venues.

Finance Minister K N Balagopal, Dairy Minister J Chinchurani, and Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar will receive the gold trophy that is awarded to the district that wins the maximum number of points, at the district border at Kulakkada at 1.30 pm on Wednesday. Subsequently, the trophy will be taken in a ceremonial procession to the main venue of the arts festival at Ashramam grounds.

Receptions will be accorded to the procession at places such as Kottarakkara, Ezhukone, and Kundara. The gold trophy will arrive at the main venue at Ashramam grounds at 6.30 pm. Following this, the public will have the opportunity to view the cup. Later, it will be shifted to the district treasury. 

The procession, carrying the gold trophy, began from Kozhikode on Tuesday. A publicity campaign for the arts festival will be conducted on Wednesday. Special counters have been opened at the railway station and KSRTC bus stands to receive students who are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. The registration of the contestants will be conducted at the Town UP School near the district collectorate while accommodation for the students has been arranged at 31 schools in the city.

Meanwhile, Education Minister V. Sivankutty dedicated the main venue named “ONV Smriti'' at the Ashramam grounds to the arts festival. The pandal and stage at the main venue have also been prepared. The ONV Smriti has an area of 60,000 square feet and can accommodate 10,000 chairs.

Receptions for the ceremonial procession
Thodupuzha/Kozhikode: A reception was accorded at Thodupuzha to the ceremonial procession carrying the gold cup, which will be awarded to the district that qualifies as the overall winner, at the 62nd school arts festival taking place in Kollam from Thursday. 

The procession began on Tuesday at 8.30 am from Kozhikode, the district which won the cup last year. Representatives of the Idukki district, under Collector Sheeba George, received the gold trophy at the district border at Madakkathanam. Following this, it was taken to the APJ Government Higher Secondary School in Thodupuzha, where a reception function was conducted. 

The procession will reach Kottayam district on Wednesday. The gold trophy will be received at the Baker Memorial Girls Higher Secondary School at 8.15 am by Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MLA; District Panchayat President KV Bindu; and Municipal Chairperson Bincy Sebastian.