The Kerala School Kalolsavam 2025 (Malayalam: കേരള സ്കൂൾ കലോത്സവം 2025), also referred to as the Kerala State School Arts Festival 2025, was the 63rd edition of the Kerala School Kalolsavam. It took place from 4 to 8 January in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The festival was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Central Stadium. Over 15,000 participants competed in 250 events held across 25 venues.
During the closing ceremony at the Central Stadium, V. Sivankutty, the Minister for General Education and Labour of Kerala, presented the golden trophy to the winning district. The ceremony was attended by Malayalam film actors Asif Ali and Tovino Thomas, along with other prominent politicians from Kerala.
At the conclusion of the five-day event on 8 January 2025, Thrissur district won the championship for the 6th time in the 63-year history of the Kalolsavam. This victory comes 25 years after their last win in 1999. Thrissur secured 1008 points, with Palakkad as the first runner-up with 1007 points, and Kannur as the second runner-up with 1003 points.
The 63rd Kerala State School Arts Festival in 2025 is the first arts festival to include tribal arts. This year's festival gave special importance to the rich artistic traditions of tribal communities, incorporating their art forms into the main events. This initiative marks a significant step in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Kerala's tribal communities. The inclusion of tribal arts celebrates cultural diversity and provides a prominent platform for tribal artists to showcase their unique traditions. This effort has been widely appreciated as a milestone in recognizing and honoring the cultural contributions of tribal communities in Kerala.https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/kalolsavam-2025-tribal-dance-forms-irular-nritham-mangalamkali-1.10223148
Background Kerala School Kalolsavam, considered one of the largest school arts festivals in Asia, organised by the Government of Kerala in association with the Department of General Education, was originally scheduled to take place from December 3 to 7 for its 63rd edition. However, the Government of Kerala postponed the event to avoid a conflict with the National Achievement Survey examination. The festival was then held in Ananthapuri, Thiruvananthapuram district, featuring 25 venues for 250 events.
For the first time in the festival's history, five tribal art forms are included in the competition. These are Mangalamkali, a traditional dance of the Mavilan and Malavettuvan communities from Kasaragod and Kannur districts; Paniya Nritham, a dance of the Paniya community in Wayanad district; Malapulayattam, an art form of the Malapulaya community in Idukki district; Irula Nritham, a dance of the Irula community from Attappady in Palakkad district; and Paliya Nritham, an art form of the Paliya community in Idukki district.
Opening ceremony The event began with the flag hoisting by the director of general education at the Central Stadium, which served as the main venue for the festival. The official inauguration took place at MT Nila in the Central Stadium. The ceremony was led by the minister of general education, V. Sivankutty, with principal secretary of general education, Rani George, in attendance. Several other officials, including Ministers G. R. Anil, K. Rajan, A. K. Saseendran, Roshy Augustine, K. N. Balagopal, and other notable guests, were also present.
The event included a special welcome song for the Kalamotsavam, composed by Sreenivasan Thuneri and arranged by Kavalam Sreekumar. The performance featured children from Kerala Kalamandalam and public schools. A group dance by students from Wayanad Vellarimala GHSS was also part of the opening ceremony.
Venues The Kerala School Kalolsavam 2025 was held at 25 locations in the Thiruvananthapuram district. Each venue is named after one of Kerala's major rivers. The list of venues and their corresponding names is as follows:
Stage name Venue City/townBharathappuzhaCentral StadiumPalayamPeriyarGovernment College for WomenVazhuthacaudPambayar Tagore TheatreVazhuthacaudAchankovil Karthika Thirunal TheatreEast FortKaramanayar Government Higher Secondary SchoolManacaud Bhavani Nadhi St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School Palayam Vamanapuram Nadhi Government Model Girls Higher Secondary SchoolPattom Pallikkalar Nirmala Bhavan Higher Secondary School KowdiarKalladayarGovernment Higher Secondary School for Girls, Cotton Hill Cotton Hill Manimalayar Swathi Thirunal College of Music Swathi Thirunal Meenachalar The Institution of Engineers Vellayambalam Muvattupuzhayar Samskarika Kendram Poojappura Chalakudy Puzha Carmel Higher Secondary School Vazhuthacaud Karuvannur Puzha Bharat Bhavan Thycaud Kabini Nadhi Nishagandhi Auditorium Nanthancodu Chaliyar Sisu Kshema Samithi Hall Thycaud Kadalundi Puzha Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School Thycaud Kuttiady Puzha Government Model LPS Thycaud Mayyazhipuzha Mahatma Ayyankali Hall Palayam Thalassery Puzha Government Higher Secondary School Chala Valapattanam Puzha Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School (Classroom 1) Thycaud Ramapuram Puzha Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School (Classroom 2) Thycaud Peruvemba Puzha Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School (Classroom 3) Thycaud Kallayi Puzha Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School (Classroom 4) Thycaud Chittari Puzha St. Mary's Higher Secondary School Pattom
Closing ceremony The closing ceremony of the event took place on January 8, 2025, at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam film actors Asif Ali and Tovino Thomas were the chief guests. Several politicians from Kerala attended, including Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal, Minister G. R. Anil, Speaker A. N. Shamseer, and other ministers: K. Krishnankutty, Kadannappalli Ramachandran, P. A. Mohammed Riyas, P. Prasad, O. R. Kelu, and Dr. R. Bindu. Members of the Kerala Legislative Assembly and V. D. Satheesan Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, including A. A. Rahim, along with chairpersons of various Kalolsavam committees, such as Antony Raju, K. Ansalan, C. K. Hareendran, V. Joy, V. K. Prasanth, O. S. Ambika, Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, Principal Secretary of the General Education Department Rani George, Director S. Shanavas, and Additional Director R. S. Shibu, were also present.
Chirayinkeezhu Sreekandan Nair, the designer of the golden cup, was presented with a gold medal at the ceremony. Pazhayidom Mohanan Namboothiri, marking 25 years in the culinary field, and Haritha Karmasena, recognized for their contributions to the smooth operation of the festival's pandal, light, and sound systems, were also honored. 78 awards were distributed across various categories. Additionally, media awards for the 62nd State School Kalolasavam and the 2024 Kerala School Sports Meet held in Kochi were presented.
Performance table The table below provides an overview of the performance of each of the 14 districts, showing the final points earned each day from January 4 to 8. The time at which the data was collected is also indicated (in brackets) for each day.
rowspan="2" Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Final result4 January5 January6 January7 January 8 January Alappuzha 58 415 670 909 953 8th place Ernakulam 63 413 671 930 980 5th place Idukki 57 13th place Kannur 66 961 1003 2nd RUNNER-UP Kasaragod 57 386 642 876 913 10th place Kollam 66 411 672 921 964 6th place Kottayam 58 387 639 881 924 9th place Kozhikode 436 708 959 1000 4th place Malappuram 64 417 681 934 980 5th place Palakkad 64 430 702 961 1007 1st runner-up Pathanamthitta 55 361 596 807 848 12th placeThiruvananthapuram 56 409 666 913 957 7th place Thrissur 66 438 708 Winner Wayanad 382 637 865 895 11th place
Category-wise performance The following is a list of winners by school and district in each of the four categories at the 2025 Kalolsavam. For multiple winners listed, it indicates they had the same number of points. BSS Gurukulam Higher Secondary School from Palakkad won the overall school championship with 171 points. Carmel Higher Secondary School from Thiruvananthapuram placed as the first runner-up with 116 points, and MGM Higher Secondary School from Wayanad took the second runner-up position with 106 points.
Category 1st place 2nd place 3rd place School(s) District(s) School(s) District(s) School(s) District(s) High School General MGM Higher Secondary School, Mananthavady Palakkad, Thrissur BSS Gurukulam Higher Secondary School, Alathur Kollam, Kozhikode Durga Higher Secondary School, Kanhangad Kannur Higher Secondary School General Nair Samajam Higher Secondary School, Mannar Thrissur BSS Gurukulam Higher Secondary School, Alathur Palakkad Carmel Girls Higher Secondary School, Vazhuthacaud Kannur High School Arabic Government Higher Secondary School, Kallar Ernakulam, Kannur, Kozhikode Hayathudeen High School, Erattupetta Kasaragod, Malappuram, Wayanad Muslim Girls Higher Secondary School, Erattupetta Kollam, Thrissur High School Sanskrit Amrita Sanskrit Higher Secondary School, Parippally Malappuram, Palakkad, Kasaragod Mannam Memorial High School, Nariampara Kannur, Kollam, Kozhikode TD Higher Secondary School, Thuravoor Thrissur
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