Thiruvananthapuram: The state government will celebrate Kerala's 70th formation day on November 1 with 'Festival Kerala', a nationwide series of events designed to showcase the state's tourism and investment opportunities across major Indian cities, Chief Minister V D Satheesan announced Wednesday.

To direct and oversee the conduct of the festival, a dedicated cabinet sub-committee has been formed with the Chief Minister serving as chairman and State Cultural Minister P C Vishnunadh acting as convener.

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The festival will span several key urban centers, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and locations across Kerala. The event lineup will feature local indigenous art forms, panel discussions, and highlights of the state's distinct cultural heritage.

"It will showcase the tourism and investment potential of Kerala and the focus areas being highlighted by the government. There will be investor meets in major Indian cities as part of the first edition of the festival. Whether it should be taken outside the country will be examined during its second edition," the CM said at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.

Addressing the branding of the event, Satheesan explained that the title 'Festival Kerala' was chosen over 'Festival Keralam' because "some experts in the field of grammar had raised objections to the use of 'Keralam' in certain contexts."

The Chief Minister emphasised that the festival will act as a major promotional campaign to project Kerala internationally and pull in prospective investors and tourists as the government prepares to launch the initial set of programs on November 1. (PTI)