Curtains go up on school arts fest

Kozhikode: The 55^th state School Arts Fest has begun as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy formally inaugurated the event on Thursday evening, with around 11,000 students from all the districts of the state all ready to present their skills.

The seven-day event, that spreads over 18 venues in the city, will see students compete in 232 items, including on-stage and off-stage events.

Earlier the day, the flag was hoisted by K Gopalakrishna Bhat, director of public instructions and general coordinator of the fest, at the main venue, the Malabar Christian College ground.

Before the inaugural function, a colourful procession was held that started from the beach and reached the main venue with as many as 6,000 students from 50 schools taking part in it. The procession also featured traditional arts forms of Kerala.