Golden Cup Procession Begins Ahead of State School Arts Festival

Kasaragod: The ceremonial procession of the Golden Cup ahead of the 64th Kerala School Arts Festival began from Kasaragod on Wednesday, with the journey being flagged off from Mogral Government Vocational Higher Secondary School. Manjeshwaram MLA K. M. Ashraf formally handed over the golden cup to mark the start of the procession, while Kasaragod District Panchayat President Sabu Abraham presided over the function. Students, teachers, parents, officials and public representatives gathered at the venue to give the trophy a send-off.

As part of the procession, the golden cup will travel through several districts before reaching Thrissur on January 13, a day before the festival begins. The trophy, weighing 117.5 pavan, is being carried in an open vehicle under police protection, allowing the public to view it closely. Receptions will be held at 36 centres across the State during the journey, and at the end of each day’s travel, the cup will be kept in the respective sub-treasury for safekeeping.

Thrissur, which won the previous edition of the Kalolsavam, had kept the golden cup in the Thrissur sub-treasury over the past year. On the evening of January 13, the trophy will arrive at Thekkinkadu Maidan, the main venue of the Kalolsavam, formally marking the start of this year’s festival.

Meanwhile, Thrissur has completed all preparations to host the 64th State School Arts Festival, scheduled to be held from January 14 to 18, 2026. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival on January 14, while General Education and Labour Minister V. Sivankutty will preside over the inaugural function. Revenue Minister K. Rajan, who is also the chairman of the reception committee, Higher Education and Social Justice Minister R. Bindu, Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, other ministers, MLAs, the Mayor, the district panchayat president, the District Collector and the City Police Commissioner are expected to attend.

Competitions will be held in 249 categories across 25 venues in the district, each named after different flowers. The theme of this year’s Kalolsavam, “Responsible Kalolsavam”, reflects the emphasis on discipline, sustainability and student welfare. Arrangements have been made to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival, with ambulance services, drinking water and sanitation facilities in place at all venues. Accommodation has been arranged in 20 schools in and around the city, and police surveillance will be maintained at competition venues and lodging centres. Competition results will be uploaded online immediately after declaration, and the festival will be conducted in line with green protocols.