A young participant at Auckland Malayali Samajam's Kalolsavam 2025. Photo: Supplied
Nearly 200 children took part in 18 cultural arts events on Saturday as part of the annual Kalolsavam 2025 competition organised by the Auckland Malayali Samajam in Kelston.
The event featured a vibrant mix of classical and contemporary performances, including bharatanatyam, classical music, folk dance, instrumental music, mimicry, drawing and elocution.
"It's great to see kids from the community showcase their talents in classical arts," said Robin Babu, president of the Auckland Malayali Samajam.
"These opportunities are rare in schools, which is why we decided to create a platform like this."
Inspired by the Kerala School Kalolsavam, a major arts competition for school students in India, the Auckland edition began in 2011 and has grown steadily over the years.
"This year, we saw about 500 people attend," Babu said. "We even set up a food stall, but it's clear we'll need to expand the event to a full weekend next year."
Children perform on stage at Kalolsavam 2025 in Auckland on Saturday. Photo: Supplied
Sreekanth Vidhyadharan, a long-time attendee and parent, said the event was well received by both children and parents.
"I felt the kids really enjoyed each performance, whether they were performing or cheering for others," Vidhyadharan said. "It was great to see such a supportive atmosphere."
However, hosting a large-scale event such as this comes with its challenges.
"One of the biggest hurdles was coordinating children taking part in multiple events scheduled across different stages at the same time," said Aby Joseph, the 2025 Kalolsavam coordinator.
"To address this, we stayed flexible with timings and carefully managed the event flow," he said.
"Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and the [the Auckland Malayali Samajam] team, we were able to deliver an error-free and memorable Kalolsavam in 2025."
