On the third day, Coimbatore Vizha had a couple of unique programmes that celebrated the city’s strengths.
Apart from workshops, competitions, cultural programmes, and an educational tour, there was a multi-cultural parade and a science festival.
The two-day Coimbatore Science and Technology Festival, held for the first time as part of Coimbatore Vizha, is an effort to bring together educational institutions and the industry and encourage innovation by students. The organisers had connected with about 400 schools and 70 colleges and asked the students to come up with functional science models.
The short-listed 130 exhibits by students from different parts of the State are at the festival. The best models by school students (Classes VI to XII) and college students will win cash prizes worth ₹3 lakh on Monday.
The experience zone, which is also part of the science and technology festival, attracted about 3,000 visitors on Sunday. It has drone racing, radio controlled cars and virtual reality games. There are also 17 exhibits from the GD Science Centre and industries have displayed product models. During morning and evening sessions, experts from ISRO and TeamIndus interacted with the students. Inaugurated by a team of students and teachers, the festival at Codissia Trade Fair Complex is to celebrate science and technology, inspire, ignite, and involve students, and encourage innovation. Today’s innovation is tomorrow’s technology. Coimbatore needs to nurture innovation to remain on top in entrepreneurship, the organisers said.
On Sunday evening, as many as 22 associations jointly conducted a multi-cultural parade.
Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, scion of the Mysuru royal family, flagged off the parade. The colourful rally on Race Course Road was for 2.5 km and nearly 2,000 people participated. Decorated chariots, school bands, traditional dances, and performances such as silambam, vaal veechu, and vel kambu veechu were part of the parade.