Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala government on Saturday said its official Onam celebrations will be held over seven days, starting September 3.

Thiruvonam, the most important day of the harvest festival, will be celebrated on September 5.

A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan finalised the schedule for the week-long festivities, which will conclude with a grand cultural procession in the capital, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

The celebrations will be organised under the aegis of the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), with the Chief Minister directing all departments to work in coordination to ensure the events are conducted in a grand and extensive manner.

The stretch from Kowdiar to Manacaud in Thiruvananthapuram will be declared a festival zone. The capital city will be brightly illuminated, and all programmes will adhere to the state’s green protocol.

Onam fairs will be held at the district level by Kudumbashree, the all-women network that is also cultivating vegetables and flowers ahead of the festival. Harvesting will be completed before Onam, the statement said.

It was also decided to distribute “Onam kits” containing essential provisions, both offline and online.

State-run Supplyco will conduct Onam fairs at district, taluk, and mandalam centres. The availability of vegetables will be increased through Horticorp outlets across the state.

In addition to the Chief Minister, several ministers and senior officials attended the meeting.