Kochi: The festivities in connection with this year's edition of the Cochin Carnival, the event that ushers in the New Year for Kochi, will begin on December 14.

The celebrations will be inaugurated with a floral wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial in the courtyard of St. Francis Church at 8.30 AM. Tributes will be paid to soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Mayor M Anil Kumar, Fort Kochi Sub-Collector Grandhe Sai Krishna, Commodore Manav Sehgal, Commanding Officer of INS Dronacharya, M Soman representing the Carnival Committee, K K Sivan from the Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation, and A P Raveendran of the Madras Regiment will lay wreaths at the memorial. Family members of martyrs will also attend the ceremony.

Following this, the church choir will render a song conveying a message of peace, after which ex-servicemen will lead a solidarity pledge.

On December 21, the carnival flag-raising ceremony will be held at Vasco da Gama Square. MLA K J Maxi will hoist the main carnival flag, followed by flag-hoisting by 90 organisations associated with the event on specially erected flagpoles.

In the days that follow, Fort Kochi will host a range of cultural and sporting events, including DJ performances, mega shows, motorcycle races, vintage scooter rallies, archery, shooting contests, a carnival marathon, a Konkani festival, mehendi kayaking, wrestling, musical nights, angling contests and boat-rowing competitions.

The events will be spread across multiple venues including Fort Kochi Beach, Parade Ground, Pallath Raman Ground, Amaravati Mazhavil Park, Chullikkal Queens Park, Mundamveli Corporation Ground, Vasco da Gama Square, Nehru Park, Tip Top Asees Ground and Saudi School Ground.

From December 28 to 31, music bands, open-mic performances and mega music shows will take place. On December 31, cultural programmes will begin at 8 PM to welcome the New Year. The traditional Papanji burning will take place at midnight, followed by fireworks.

The grand Carnival Rally will be held on January 1, starting at 3.30 PM from Fort Kochi Veli, said K J Sohan, M Soman Menon, Shyni Mathew, P J Josy, A H Hidayath and Abhilash Thoppil, office-bearers of the Carnival Committee.

They also urged the government to enhance financial assistance for the Cochin Carnival, which draws lakhs of visitors to Fort Kochi every year.