Karnataka - Bellary   

No Hampi Utsav this year

BELLARY: In order to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the coronation of Sri Krishna Devaraya, a mighty emperor of the Vijayanagar empire, in January, the State Government has decided not to hold the Hampi Utsav this year, Tourism Minister G. Janardhan Reddy has said.

Hampi Utsav is celebrated on November 3, 4 and 5 every year. Except in 2002, the utsav has been celebrated uninterruptedly since 1995. In 2002, the festival was not held because of the severe drought.

However, due to pressure from the people, especially after the Mysore Dasara was organised, the Government decided to hold the Hampi Utsav, in January 2003. But the cultural programmes had to be cancelled as mourning was declared after then Hospet Taluk Panchayat president M. Suryanarayan was shot dead on Republic Day.

Mr. Reddy told presspersons that the 500th anniversary of the coronation would be celebrated on a grand scale for three days at Hampi from January 27 to 29. As a prelude, the Government had decided to organise a variety of functions all over the State from November 1, including quiz and elocution competitions for students.

Making it clear that the decision to cancel the Hampi Utsav was limited to this year alone, Mr. Reddy said the Cabinet subcommittee headed by him was chalking out a detailed plan of action for the occasion. “It has already been decided to invite the President of India, the Prime Minister and dignitaries from various countries that had trade and cultural relations with the Vijayanagar empire,” he said and added that the next meeting of the committee would be held in Hampi soon.

Mr. Reddy said there were plans to “re-establish the Vijayanagar experience” on a sprawling 300 acres of land near Kamalapur in a tourism-promotion effort.

“We want to invite global tenders for the project. People visiting the recreated Vijayanagar should experience what it was like then,” he said.

Mr. Reddy said that businessmen interested in setting up industries in the district would be roped in to extend all possible assistance, including financial, to the Government to remove silt accumulated in the Tungabhadra reservoir.

“A detailed report will be prepared to ensure that both industries and farmers get adequate water. I will also request Basavaraj Bommai, Minister for Water Resources, to instruct the committee of experts to study and identify suitable places for construction of balancing reservoirs downstream for everyone’s benefit,” he added.

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