A free helicopter ride for the ‘best of COVID-19 warriors’, a flower shower for all the COVID-19 warriors, virtual art street and a very flexible marathon for athletes-- these are a few events that have been lined up for the 13th edition of Coimbatore Vizha. The annual event to celebrate the ‘Spirit of Coimbatore’, put together by Young Indians (YI) will be held from January 2 to 10. Like most events in 2020, the vizha will predominantly be held virtually, with the few inevitable offline projects having extremely flexible rules to be as convenient as possible for participants.
At Coimbatore Vizha’s inauguration on January 2, helicopters will fly over the two major government hospitals in the city -- ESI hospital and the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital -- and shower the COVID-19 warriors there with flower petals as a tribute for their work on the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus. State ministers SP Velumani and C Vijayabaskar will be present for the inauguration of the vizha on January 2.
After that, free helicopter rides have been organised for some of the most hardworking sanitation workers of the Coimbatore Corporation. Other citizens can also choose to have a joyride over the city in helicopters, on payment of a fee.
While the vizha’s marquee events like Art Street and The Pitch are back in an online avatar, the Coimbatore Marathon will be left to the preference of the participants. According to the rules, in line with the COVID-19 restrictions, participants can choose to run the distance at any time convenient for them between January 2 and January 10 and record it on a running app. This can then be submitted to the organisers for the certificates. The upcoming edition of the festival also aims at reusing working electronic devices like mobile phones and laptops by collecting and redistributing them to those in need,to help with access to online education.
A virtual heritage tour of the city and a road show of around 30 superbikes are also on the agenda for the 2021 edition of Coimbatore Vizha. “We are compiling a small video with the heritage sites in and around the city -- some well-known and not so well-known -- with the help of eminent historian Rajesh Govindarajalu. The video will be live on our website from January 3. The best part about this is that people who have some connection with Coimbatore and have not been able to visit anytime in the recent past can also view the video and reminisce about their days here,” says Aanchal Bhatia, a member of Young Indians and a coordinator for the Heritage Tour event.
Full details of the events and the registration process can be read here.