Kozhikode: Curtains are all set to go up on Hortus, the art and literature festival organized by Malayala Manorama, offering a vibrant space for ideological discourses and art appreciation at Kozhikode. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival at a function to be held at the Open-Air Stadium on Kozhikode Beach at 4 pm today.

Kozhikode Mayor Beena Philip will preside over the event. Malayala Manorama Executive Editor and Director Jayant Mammen Mathew, Polish writer Marek Bienczyk, Festival Director N S Madhavan, Santa Monica Chairman and Managing Director Denny Thomas Vattakunnel, and Malayala Manorama Editorial Director Jose Panachippuram will speak on the occasion.

Running from tomorrow till November 3, Hortus will feature over 130 debates across 10 venues. It brings together more than 400 guests, including notable figures such as Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena.

Festival discussions will span topics from literature and art to cinema, music, and politics. Writers from Poland, Korea, and African nations are slated to take part in these discussions. The sessions on themes like the intersection of language and politics, cyber attacks, the Wayanad tragedy and its rehabilitation efforts, and the future of the City of Literature will feature prominent political leaders from Kerala as well.

For younger attendees, a variety of creative events from storytelling and music to dance and painting promise an engaging experience. Internationally acclaimed films with high art value will be screened throughout the three days. Adding to the excitement, stand-up comedians from Malayalam and other languages will perform.

The main venue will host three music performances. Tomorrow at 7.30 pm, Baburaj Padunnu (Baburaj sings) will captivate the audience, followed by Katha Parayum Pattukal (songs that narrate stories) on the second day. The musical finale on the third day is titled Hariharam.

The Kochi Biennale Art Pavilion exhibition, Pusthakashala - a book festival organized by Manorama - and Kalathinoru Sakshi, an exhibition that narrates the history and evolution of Malayala Manorama, are already open at the venue.