Event Date
G20 EMPOWER Meeting
Exhibition
Exhibition
The G20 EMPOWER meeting will feature a meticulously curated exhibition by the national Institute of Fashion & Technology, showcasing various themes of women’s empowerment. It will highlight women’s engagement in the cultivation and production of Tea, Coffee, Spices and Coir. The exhibition will spotlight the value of indigenous, nutrient-rich coarse grains, including millets and the various products of India’s Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Additionally, guests will have the opportunity to browse through Indigenous Toys, Handloom & Handicrafts crafted by women, Ayurvedic Oils and other wellness products by the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy). With its exceptional digital features, the exhibition guarantees an engaging and interactive experience.
Tourist Attractions
Kuthiramalika Palace
Kottur
Neyyar
Veli
Varkala Beach
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary
Gender Park
Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
Somatheeram
All About Thiruvananthapuram
Kuthiramalika Palace
Built by Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma in 1840s, who was Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore in British India, it is a pristine two-storied palace near the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. It is a great example of the Kerala school of architecture and is made from teakwood, rosewood, marble, and granite. The museum houses idols and sculptures made from white marble, Kathakali figures, Belgian mirrors, and paintings.
Kottur
Cradled in the arms of the Agasthyakoodam hill range in the Western Ghats is the exotic destination Kottur. Covered with forests, this area is home to rare flora and fauna. The area is marked with tall forest tree species and numerous rivulets and streams. Elephants can be spotted in the Agasthyakoodam Biological Park. These forests are home to many tribal establishments as well.
Neyyar
Around 32 km from Thiruvananthapuram, one comes across 12,000 hectares of natural vegetation in the form of the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary. It offers a rare chance to view flora and fauna alongside numerous trekking options. The Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary is the habitat of over a hundred species of fauna including the Asian elephants, tigers, leopard, slender loris and reptiles and amphibians like the king cobra, Travancore tortoise, etc.
The Neyyar Dam nearby is also famous due to its many features, chief amongst them being a picturesque picnic spot. It boasts of a beautiful watch tower, a deer park, a lion safari park and a crocodile rehabilitation and research centre as well.
Veli
The Veli Tourist Village lies where the Veli Lake meets the Arabian Sea in Thiruvananthapuram district. The place features a large garden on the southern banks of Veli Lagoon and a floating bridge that connects this garden to the Veli Beach. Apart from these, there is a long walkway connecting Aakulam Lake that catches one’s attention. There are also some stone and grass sculptures by Kanayi Kunhiraman which add to the landscape of the garden. Other than that, a collection of birds such as pigeons and swans, and few small ponds with fish and tortoises in them can also be sighted here.
Varkala Beach
Varkala is a calm and quiet hamlet that lies on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. It has several tourist attractions that include a beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple and the Ashramam - Sivagiri Mutt a little distance from the beach. The Varkala beach is renowned for a natural spring which is considered to have medicinal and curative properties. A dip in the holy waters at this beach is believed to purge the body of impurities and the soul of all sins; hence the name 'Papanasam Beach'.
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary
Located 50 kms north east of Thiruvananthapuram, the Peppara wildlife sanctuary is home for elephants, gaur, sambar, barking deer, and wild boar. Endemic species like the malabar grey hornbill, white-bellied treepie, and the small sunbird have also been sighted here. The highlight of the wildlife sanctuary at Peppara is the 13 tribes of adivasis that still reside inside the park premises. Constituting the catchment of the Peppara dam across the Karamana River, the area around was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1983 because of ecological significance.
Gender Park
The Gender Park, established in 2013, is an initiative of the Government of Kerala to work towards gender equality and empowerment in the state. The campus is set at Kozhikode (Calicut), Vellimadukunnu with a key focus to work on gender justice. It is a platform for policy analysis, research, advocacy, capacity development, economic and social initiative. It is under the Department of Social Justice and is the first space of its kind in the world. Currently working under the Department of Women and Child Development, it aims to become a premier convergence point for gender-related activities.
Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
Kerala Arts and Crafts Village is dedicated to craft, art and artisanship. The village celebrates the rich, diverse, and multifarious craft traditions of South Asia. Spread across 8.5 acres in the beautiful village of Vellar, near Kovalam, it is an inclusive shared space to revive and replenish the craft cultural in the State.
Somatheeram
Somatheeram is an award-winning Ayurveda hospital set on tropical gardens and prime beachfront location at Chowara Beach, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It is the world’s first Ayurveda hospital set in a resort ambiance to provide Ayurveda treatments and programmes for people from all over the world.
Cultural Programmes
1. Kathakali Make-up: Through the Day at the Pre-function Area, Convention Centre, Leela Kovalam
Kathakali is one of the six major classical dances of India. A Kerala state dance form, it combines devotion, drama, dance, music, costumes and make up into a truly memorable experience.
The costumes of Kathakali are elaborate and the faces are painted in vivid hues.
The objective of this event is to show how the make-up of the artists happen in Kathakali. Three different make-ups will happen through the day, each for around two hours.
Pacha
Pacha is one of the more character types in Kathakali. The Pacha (green) character usually represents pious, gentle and noble characters.
Stree Vesham
Stree Vesham is the embodiment of a female subject in various moods and settings.
Tadi Kari
Kari means black and is the colour worn by cruel characters. Tadi means a beard. The make-up would be of a Kathakali artist in black with a beard.
2. Evening Cultural Programme at the Beach Venue, Leela Kovalam
The evening cultural programme will be of around 90-minutes’ duration and will feature two separate performances.
Performance 1 – Sari: A Dance Drama
India's tradition of hand woven textiles, with its incredible range of colour, texture and design, has, for millenniums, been one the most defining and visually striking elements of the Indian persona. As the quintessential expression of the weavers' imagination, talent and skill, the Sari continues to be the jewel of the Indian handloom industry.
'Sari' is a celebration of the creation of this unique drape, in constant play with the body, both in stillness and in movement.
The performance will trace the journey of a cotton seed from germination through the numerous processes involved in creating a Sari– carding, combing, spinning, making yarn, dyeing, and finally weaving it into a 'Sari' which can be draped in diverse styles.
Performance 2 – Devalokam: The Art Forms of Kerala
Kerala is a land with breathtaking natural beauty. It is also a land with diverse traditions, heritage and rituals. The arts of Kerala are amazingly wide and have been preserved for centuries. The state is home to unique communities that have contributed diverse art forms to the state.
Devalokam will present a number of these art forms, each for a short duration, seamlessly stitched together. The art forms that will be performed will include Shinkari Melam (welcoming of the guests by lady drummers), Panchvadyam, Sopana Sangeetham, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattam, Shreethankan Thullal, Kalaripayattu, Kalampattu Thullal, Tholpavakkoothu and Theyyam.