Malabar Mahotsavam

Malabar Mahotsavam is a cultural festival that shows the centuries old rich cultural heritage of Kerala. The event is held at Mananchira ground in the heart of Kozhikode town from 13th to 16th January every year. Malabar Mahotsavam aims to recapture and revive the traditional Malabar Cultural glory. The concept was evolved in the background of this cultural heritage which continues to flourish through the genius of Vaikkom Mohammad Basheer, M.T, Vasudevan Nair, K.T. Mohammed, Thikkodiyan, to name only a few. The Festival is divided into many sections, namely, Classical Dance, Classical Music, Traditional and Folk arts, Drama, Literary, Ganamela, etc. The objectives of the Malabar Mahotsavam are many. First is to give a new lease of life to the traditional art forms like Theyyam, Kalarippayattu and encourage the local artists. Second, to give the local population an exposure to many art forms of India, both classical and folk and appreciate the rich cultural heritage that the country is proud of. Third, a corollary of the first two, is to exploit the immense tourism potential of the region which is grossly untapped. It is also aimed to crate an atmosphere of communal harmony as Malabar is known for the peaceful co-existence of many religious faiths. It is expected that the festival will symbolize Unity in Diversity of India through art and culture by the involvement of so many artists and art lovers from all over the country. The most important feature of this Festival is that it accessible to common man as the entry is free of cost to all. The Festival is organized with the help of sponsorships. The Festival is first of its kind in Kerala and its success has motivated other districts like Ernakulam to organize a similar festival in Kochi.