Dubai Art Lovers Association (Dala) has organised a major cultural festival during the Eid holidays at the Folkore Theatre Ground near Al Mamzar area featuring a number of programmes depicting culture and life in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The event is intended be a true copy of a traditional Kerala village carnival at which community members can see various traditional cultural programmes performed by expatriate artists of Dubai. ‘Keralotsavam’ (meaning ‘Festival of Kerala’) is an annual carnival conducted by the association coinciding with Eid holidays in the UAE.
The association has decided to make the entry free for people from all walks of life.
“We have decided to make free entry because many working class expatriates cannot afford to pay Dh50 or so charged for various stage shows and cultural events conducted by elite community associations,” said A Sajeevan. , general secretary of Dala.
Kerala’s traditional art forms like Chenda Melam, Shinkari Melam, Panchavadyam, Kavadiyattam, Theyyam, Karakattam will be performed. All the performers are members of Dala and other social organisations in the UAE,” said Sajeevan.
The Kerala carnival on November 6 and 7 evenings will have a manmade elephant and various stalls selling food items and other Kerala products found at festival venues back home. Dala, a member of the Indian Community Welfare Committee, will also set up food stalls selling products made by member housewives. These stalls will also have toys, ornaments, antiques, books etc normally available at festival venues in Kerala.
According to Dala President A Abdulla Kutty, many expatriate families cannot participate in carnivals back home and the organisation is trying to recreate a traditional Kerala carnival venue in Dubai.
A gathering of writers and intellectuals is also planned at which authors and poets will recite some of their works.