The Calicut University Inter-zone Arts Festival named ‘Kalykya’ is underway, showcasing remarkable talents from colleges across the region. The festival has progressed to its second day, with thrilling off-stage competitions filling the air with creativity and competition at Majlis Arts and Science College, Puramannur, near Valanchery.
The festivities kicked off on Saturday (February 22) with the inauguration led by renowned writer P. Surendran and artist Taj Backer, who set the tone for this vibrant event filled with artistic expression and celebration. The festival continued to gather pace with the official inauguration on Sunday evening (February 23) by Deputy Leader of the Opposition, P.K. Kunhalikutty. The event attracted significant attention with Shafi Parambil, MP, delivering the keynote address and popular film actor Kunchacko Boban gracing the ceremony as the chief guest.
Organising committee chairman Syed Abid Husain Thangal, along with Calicut University Vice Chancellor P. Raveendran, showcased their support for the arts and students during the grand opening. They were accompanied by key university figures, including Syndicate members and the university union chairperson Nitin Fatima.
This year, over 5,000 students from various colleges, including those from Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad districts, are taking part, competing fiercely across different artistic disciplines. The venues for the events have been named after five students tragically lost to campus violence, serving as poignant reminders of the need for peace and community solidarity.
On Sunday, February 23, competitions were held in several artistic formats including pencil drawing, flower carpet creation, clay modelling, and quizzes, with participants also engaging in elocution across multiple languages—Malayalam, English, Arabic, Urdu, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Tamil. The creativity extended to other competitions as well, such as rangoli, collage, debate, kavyakeli, and Sanskrit drama. According to the local news report, “Over 5,000 students from colleges are taking part in the five-day event.”
Leading positions were noted for Kerala Varma College, Thrissur; Farook College, Feroke; and Calicut University Campus, highlighting the fierce competition and talent present. The culmination of off-stage events demonstrated the dedication and artistry of young minds eager to express themselves.
On the following day, Monday, February 24, excitement builds as the festival will transition to stage events. Competitions are set to include vibrant folk dances like oppana, traditional music performances including chenda, tabla, and mridangam, along with various forms of drama including Hindi drama, Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, and more. It promises to be another exhilarating day of cultural exchange and artistic display.
The event also recognized individual talents with notable achievements from students such as Faisan from Safi College of Advanced Studies, Vazhayur, who won the first prize in Urdu elocution. Similarly, V. Megh Harikrishnan from St. Thomas College, Thrissur, showcased exemplary skills to win first place in rangoli arts, and Gopika Nandana from Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur, excelled with her outstanding poster making. Arun K.U., also from Sree Kerala Varma College, claimed victory for the pencil drawing competition.
The festival, part of the broader cultural fabric at Calicut University, serves not only as a platform for showcasing youth talent but also as a moment of reflection on the impacts of violence within educational institutions. The curtain is set to rise for the stage events, igniting anticipation for what is to come, as participants and attendees alike prepare for another memorable day of the Kalykya Arts Festival.