By Subba Rao
Copyright thehindu
Ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and alliance leaders from undivided Krishna district gathered at Fortune Murali Hotel in Vijayawada on Tuesday to chalk out plans for the upcoming ‘Vijayawada Utsav’. The festival is being envisioned as a cultural extravaganza on the scale of the famed ‘Mysuru Dasara Utsav’.
Chairing the meeting, district in-charge and Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav announced that the 11-day festival would focus on reviving fading art forms and promoting Vijayawada as a hub of culture and tourism. “Just as Mysuru Dasara attracts nationwide attention, Vijayawada Utsav will showcase our city’s heritage and make the nation look towards us,” he said.
Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Minister Parthasarathy highlighted that the festival would celebrate Vijayawada’s global prominence and devotion to Goddess Kanaka Durga. He added that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was determined to position Andhra Pradesh among the country’s leading States and develop Amaravati as a world-class capital.
Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivnath (Chinni) described Vijayawada as the cultural capital of Andhra Pradesh and assured that the event would be held on a grand scale. “The glory of Bezawada will be spread far and wide,” he said, noting that lakhs of devotees throng Indrakeeladri throughout the year. He announced that cultural shows and exhibitions would be organised at Punnami Ghat, Tummalapalli Kalakshetram, and Sangeeta Kalasala, with affordable entry tickets priced at ₹30. Local talent will be given prime slots, performing two hours daily.
Vijayawada (East) MLA Gadde Ramamohan recalled Naidu’s development works at the Kanaka Durga temple in 2014 and said these celebrations would carry forward that vision. Jaggaiahpet MLA Sriram Tataiah suggested a special traffic-control app to handle tourist inflows and proposed showcasing Amaravati’s under-construction iconic buildings.
The main exhibition will be held at Gollapudi on Endowments Department land, with ₹45 lakh earmarked for its 56-day run and ₹15 lakh reserved for farmer participation. Organisers also plan to invite the Vice-President of India for the festivities.
