Students of National Higher Secondary School, Kolathur perform ‘Eravi’ in drama competition (HS category) at Chaldean Syrian Higher Secondary School, Thrissur on Saturday. | Photo credit: KK NAJEEB
The penultimate day of the Kerala State School Arts Festival on Saturday witnessed the largest ever crowd with the two most popular events of the day – Group Dance and Drama. The head-to-head battle added to the electrifying atmosphere and overall experience of all who became part of the audience.
Crowds at both the Thekkinkadu Maidan and the Chaldean Syrian HSS swelled as they flocked in their thousands to witness the tight group dance and drama competitions in the HSS category. The main venue at Thekkinkadu Maidan was seen by over 10,000 people.
This time too, there were some excellent performances, alongside a variety of themes – from choreography for Operation Sindoor to others that referenced Balamani’s film character from the 2002 film Nandanam (actor Navya Nair, who portrayed the role, is a former State School Festival dance competition winner).
The hordes of drama enthusiasts who arrived at the Chaldean Syrian HSS also got a treat. For performance art lovers, there were plenty of events to choose from – including Bharatanatyam, Chavittu Natakam, Kathakali, Mono Act, Kolkali, Kerala Nadanam, Folk Dance, Kuchipudi, Vanchipattu and Thayambaka.
Irula Nrutham and Paliya Nrutham were the tribal dance events performed on the day. As in the previous days, the Tribal Dance competitions also managed to attract decent attendance.
Until the last day, Kannur district leads the fight for the ‘Gold Cup’ with 955 points. Hosts and defending champions Thrissur are just five points behind, followed by Palakkad (947), Kozhikode (946) and Kollam (917).
Published – 17 Jan 2026 22:47 IST