More Prizes for the Participants in this Onam Festival

Thrissur: Considering the fact of rising financial burden related
with the Pulikali festival, the Thrissur Corporation has decided to lift its fund for the troupes taking part in the yearly event from Rs 50,000 to Rs 65,000.

Mayor I.P. Paul stated, an advance amount of Rs 40,000 would be given to each of the unit participating on September 12.

He added, “The firm will also give a cash award of Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 to the top three teams. In addition, the top three tableaus selected by the judging committee will also be awarded prize money of Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively according to their positions.”

Further, the civic body will approach the tourism minister with an appeal to provide Rs 1, 00,000 for the each of the participating team as a component of the tourism department’s yearly assistance to the event.

This year, the focus is on the chief streets that include Naduvilal, Naikanal, Paramekkavu, Thekke Gopura Nada, and Kuruppam Road junction to offer an impressive background to the ‘wild belly’ tiger dance. The roads that used for the festival will be updated before Onam.

Truckload of flowers to decorate Onam

Nadeesh Kareemadathil | DC 

Thrissur: Getting flowers can turn out expensive this festive season with rates of almost all flowers in the wholesale market rising up sharply due to shortage of production in Tamil Nadu where the flower plantation has been by the heavy rainfall. Flower sellers have warned that prices will rise as 80% are brought to Karnataka from the adjoining states.

P.S Mohanan, manager of RMR Flowers in Thrissur, said, “An Onam kit with a blend of flowers costs between Rs 50 to Rs 75, which is up by around 35% compared to last year.”

Twist to elephant transportation

Hiran Unnikrishnan | DC

Thrissur: There happens to be no end to the saga of ‘deportation’ of the unfortunate wild elephants in Siruvani.

Due to the rising protests from locals living on the suburbs of the Palakkad forest, the forest department has decided to transfer the animal to the elephant rehabilitation centre located at Konni, Pathanamthitta.

The tusk-less male elephant that suffers from a painful abdominal tumour, was shifted before to Siruvani on May 24 from Sulthan Batheri, its original home.

The elephant, aged around 27 years, which apparently crushed a tribal to death recently, had been destroying crops and spreading panic in the locality of Wayanadu for the last couple of years and was shifted to Siruvani on the excuse of granting better treatment.

The real plan was to transfer the animal to the Parambikulam reserves but the Tamil Nadu Wildlife Department had denied assisting, referring to its perilous history. The elephant was let out in Siruvani after being attached with a radio collar to help the officials follow its movement.