On its 67th anniversary of becoming a state, Kerala is having a week-long grand event called ‘Keraleeyam’, to celebrate its cultural heritage, progress and various achievements through the years. The government of Kerala has launched Keraleeyam as an annual event to begin every year on Kerala Piravi Day, November 1. The first edition was inaugurated on the morning of Wednesday, November 1, by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in the presence of other politicians and the four ambassadors of the event: veteran actors Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, Mohanlal and Shobana.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that this will be an occasion for Keralites all over the world to celebrate together. During Keraleeyam, the state’s development model will be showcased to the world, he said. Kamal Haasan said that he would speak in English because he wanted the rest of the nation to understand what he was saying and why he was saying it about “our Kerala”. He went on to speak about the special place that Kerala held in his life, being an inspiration in both his careers, as an artist and as a  people’s representative.

Mammootty, who didn’t bring a prepared speech, said that his wish was for Keraleeyam to become an emotion of universal brotherhood, and for the state to become a model of love and friendship for the entire world. Let us keep our differences in religion, caste and politics aside and let us be one, celebrating the fact that we are all Malayalees and speak the same language, he said.

Mohanlal and Shobana both said that they were from Thiruvananthapuram, the place where the celebrations are happening. Thiruvananthapuram was his city and he knew every nook and corner of it, Mohanlal said. Shobana joked that everyone called her a Tamizhathi (Tamil woman) after her film Manichitrathazhu, but her hometown was Thiruvananthapuram.

Among the plethora of events being held as part of Keraleeyam are seminars, book fairs, film and food festivals, and exhibitions in more than 40 venues across the city.