Light, flower show becomes favourite weekend spot in Thiruvananthapuram
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The streets along Kanakakunnu Palace were flooded with people and crammed with vehicles not a new sight to a Trivandrum resident in the festive days. Big-sized reindeer leading the way for Santa Claus sleigh at the mega entrance to the palace, trees lit up in colourful lights, and thematic light designs the Vasantholsavam light and flower show has become the best weekend getaway for all Trivians, with people of all age groups coming up to see how lights tell tales! The 8-year-old Parie from Chhattisgarh was full of surprises the colours made a lasting impact on her. My favourite was the dragon. and I loved the flowers too, she said, by listing out the colours she saw inside. Her parents, both working at the ISRO at Veli here, said that they came here early that evening so that the child could enjoy everything inside peacefully. Not just them, tourists from different districts and states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were actively part of the programmes here. Standing outside the mirror maze was Bhavya, a college student, who still seemed not to be out of how mirrors around the room and lights inside gave her an out-of-the-world experience. Another youngster remarked that rather than decorating the entire stretch of roads with lights, as done during Onam time, creative works like the designs of spores would be better. Coming from Kollam, Class XI student Devananda said that the celebrations resembled those of the Kollam festival. As usual, the nights are busier here than the evenings. While parents led the children to see the lights, the children led their parents towards the stalls that sell snacks and attractive toys. However, not all people have the same opinion about the festival. Athul Sivadas, a media student, mentioned that this years show is not as good as that of the previous years. Being a resident of this city, I know how well-arranged the programme was in the previous years, but this time, everything feels like a rushed, last-minute arrangement, he opined. Getting mixed reviews The festival has recieved mixed reviews from the public. For families, the festival seems to be the perfect getaway, as kids find the illuminations fascinating. For others, this years festival appeared to not be as good as that of the previous years
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