Curtains drew on a 10-day long carnival in Kochi yesterday with a long procession showcasing the region's traditions.
Thousands of people lined up the streets of Kochi to witness the 2.5 kilometre- long colourful procession.
Artistes dressed up as Hindu gods and goddesses and Egyptian mummies drew wide cheers as they passed through the decked up streets. A man dressed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew the maximum applause as he waved to the crowd.
The highlight of the event, held at Fort Kochi, was a fancy dress competition, where people were seen dressed in weird attires.
Authorities begin preparations several months for the event which kicks off in the last week of December.
A former organizer of the carnival, Biju C. N., said the popularity of the annual event has grown over the years, attracting thousands of tourists.
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"In the carnival rally there is fancy dress competition, floats competition and Kerala cultural programmes ; thousands of people are attracted to this function," he said.
Biju said the carnival, first organised on a very small scale by the locals during the Portuguese rule, gained strength in the subsequent years. It is now the most important event of the tourism calendar.
Organisers say the carnival has been drawing foreign tourists as well who throng this port city to take part in the revelry.
The origins of the carnival can be traced back to the Portuguese New Year revelry held during the colonial rule. Over the years, it has evolved and has taken the form of what is now popularly called the Cochin Carnival of Kerala.
