Pic: Spoorthi Ullal
Media Release
Kasargod, Dec 16: The 2nd edition of Bekal International Beach Festival will be held from December 22 to 31 at Bekal Beach Park, Pallikkara. The ten-day long festival will surely become a milestone in the history of tourism in Kerala as in the first edition. This festival is one among the South India’s biggest beach festival. Bekal has long association with Dakshina Kannada as it was part of district erstwhile. The historic Bekal fort was built by Shivappa Nayak of Ikkeri dyansty.
The festival has been planned by the government, through Bekal Resorts Development Corporation Ltd (BRDC), the organization leading the overall development of Bekal, and an elaborate organizing committee headed by Uduma MLA C H Kunhambu.
The organizing committee has planned diverse programmes throughout the festival, incorporating the history, culture, language diversity, artforms, development concepts and tourism breakthrough of Bekal and Kasaragod.
The formal inauguration of this ten-day festival will be done by honorable speaker of Kerala assembly A N Shamseer on December 22at a specially arranged venue at Beach Park. C H Kunhambu MLA, who is also the chairman of the organizing committee, will preside over the inaugural function.
Rajmohan Unnithan honorable MP of Kasaragod, MLAs E Chandrasekaran, N A Nellikunnu, M Rajagopalan, A K M Ashraf, district panchayat president Baby Balakrishnan, former MP P Karunakaran, former MLAs K Kunhiraman, K V Kunhiraman, K P Kunhikannan, district panchayat vice president Shanavas Padur, block panchayat presidents K Manikandan (Kanhangad), Siji Mathew (Karaduka), C A Saima (Kasaragod), chairperson of Kanhangad municipality K V Sujatha, grama panchayat presidents M Kumaran (Pallikkara), P Lakshmi (Udma), Sufaija Abubakar (Chemmanad), T Shobha (Ajanur), Shalu Mathew director, BRDC M Hussain deputy director (Tourism), T T Surendran, district coordinator (Kudumbasree), Lijo Joseph, secretary DTPC, Kasaragod, political party leaders M V Balakrishnan master (CPIM), P K Faisal (Indian National Congress), C P Babu (CPI), Kallatra Mahin Haji (IUML), Ravisha Thantri (BJP), M Hamid Haji (INL), P P Raju (Janthadal-S), Ratheesh Puthiyapurayil (Janadhipathya Kerala Congress) Kaiprath Krishnan Nambiar (Congress-S), P Nandakumar (Kerala Congress-B), Harish B Nambiar (RSP), T V Balakrishnan (RJD), Jetto Joseph (Kerala Congress) and Antex Joseph (Keral Congress -J) will also be present.
Inbasekar K IAS, district collector and general convener, Bekal International Beach Fest organizing committee will deliver the welcome speech and P Shijin, managing director, BRDC will deliver the vote of thanks.
V D Satheeehan, MLA and opposition leader in Kerala Assembly, P K Kunjalikutty MLA, (former Industries Minister) Shailaja teacher, MLA (former Health Minister), Dr G S Pradeep, (television personality), Gopinath Muthukad, (famous magician and motivational speaker), Shaji N Karun, (film director and writer), Rafeek Ahammed (lyricist), V K SureshBabu, Aryadan Shoukath, E P Rajagopalan, P V K Panayal, M Vinayachandran, Dr D Sajith Babu IAS, the cine artists of Kasaragod will be present at the festival on various days.
The art and cultural programmes of the fest will be staged in two venues named after the prominent rivers of the district namely Chandragiri and Tejaswini. Entry to the festival will be from 11 am, every day. Ticket rates are Rs 100 for adults and Rs 25 for children.
The fair is organized in such a way that one who enters the Bekal Beach Park in the morning can enjoy the various programmes till the night, before return. Apart from art and cultural programmes, there will also be educational, recreational and adventure programmes (in the beach park). The festival also features food stalls, business and commercial stalls and adventure sports.
At Chandragiri, the main venue in the beach park, there will be spectacular events starting at on all days of the festival.
On December 22, there will be a mega live music by Thaikkudam Bridge musical band and on December 23, there will be a musical fusion trio by Shiva Mani, Prakash Ulliyeri and Sharreth. On December 24, musical feast ‘Chithra Vasantham’ by K S Chithra and team on December 25, mega musical event by M G Sreekumar and team on December 26, dance night by Shobhana and team on December 27, Old is Gold led by Padmakumar, Dev and team, on December 28, Soul of Folk, folk band by Athul Narukara, on December 29, Mapplila Pattu by Kannur Sherief and team on December 30 musical band by Gowri Lekshmi. On December 31 mega new year night by Attam Kala Samithi and Thekinkad band, special programmes and fireworks are organized on the shores of Bekal to welcome the new year.
Evenings of all these 10 days will be flourished with the presence of renowned literary men.
At Tejaswini, the second venue of the Bekal beach, various artistic performances by the Kudumbasree workers and other artists from the district will be staged on all ten days. Mohiniyattam, bharatanatyam, kuchipudi, thiruvathirakali, mangalamkali, oppana, cinematic dance, folk dance, group dance, yoga dance, assamese dance, yakshaganam and rajasthani dance will be performed under the leadership of Kudumbasree CDSs.
The first edition of the Bekal International Beach Festival, which was conducted last year with the support of the state government, tourism department, BRDC, DTPC, local self-government department and Kudumbasree mission, was a grand success. This year too, the fest is conducted with the help of state government and other departments. For the success of the festival, government institutions including Kudambasree, political leadership of the district and youth organizations are doing remarkable activities.
The ten-day long mega event is planned to wind up on December 31 midnight welcoming the new year.
Advocate C H Kunchambu MLA, Udma and chairman organising committee Shijin P, managing director, BRDC manikandan K, president Kanahangad block U S Prasad, manager BRDC M A Latheef - convenor, parking committee were present for press meet.