The stage is set for the World Telugu Conference-2017 (WTC), the festival of Telugu language and culture, which would be inaugurated by Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu at Lal Bahadur Stadium here on Friday evening.
Even as final touches were being given to the main venue at the L.B. Stadium that would reflect the prominence of the culture and heritage of Telangana State, the organisers – Telangana Sahitya Academi, Tourism and Culture officials – had a hectic day monitoring the arrangements as about 8,000 delegates, including over 450 NRIs and delegates of non-Indian origin, from over 40 countries would be attending the conference.
The city has been decked up with over 100 welcome arches and hoardings dedicated to the Telugu luminaries to bring into focus the spirit behind the WTC and to spread the greatness of Telugu language and culture. The venue of the main event has been named after Palkuriki Somana, an eminent poet of Telangana, and the dais has been named after Bammera Pothana, who hailed from Janagaon of Telangana.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee on WTC headed by Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari released a booklet detailing the events to be held during the five-day conference at the main venue and six other venues—Telugu University, L.B. Indoor Stadium, Indira Priyadarshini Stadium, Ravindra Bharathi, Lalitha Kala Thoranam and Telangana Saraswatha Parishad. President Ramnath Kovind would be the chief guest for the valedictory on December 19. A bulk of the delegates would arrive here on Friday morning and a welcome committee under the aegis of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) would receive them, give them the kits comprising special publications on Telugu language, literature, Telangana heritage and culture, and the schedule of the events. There were many who could not register as delegates on time, but they could still attend the conference, Nandini Sidha Reddy, Chairman of Telangana Sahitya Academi, said.
The State government is hosting all the registered delegates coming from outside the twin cities, the State and abroad. Lunch would be served at all the venues for the participating delegates from December 16 to 19 where day-long events such as seminars and workshops on various Telugu literary forms and traditions would be held.
For the delegates who registered for the event from the twin cities, Sahitya Akademi distributed the kits at Ravindra Bharathi on Thursday. Three Jnanpeeth awardees who would attend the conference would be felicitated after the inaugural on Friday. A variety of cultural programmes have been lined up at the main venue on all the five days featuring performances by renowned artistes such as Raja Reddy and Radha Reddy of ‘Mana Telangana’ ballet, musical play on Jaya Jayosthu Telangana , Kuchipudi dance recital by Shirnikant and troupe from the U.S. et al.
Telangana Sambaralu, comprising a display of literature brought out by leading publishing houses, handicrafts, handlooms and folk arts, would regale the visitors outside the main venue on all the five days. While about 35,000 people can be inside the stadium, including the galleries, another 35,000 can move around the stalls of Telangana Sambaralu, said B. Venkatesham, Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture. Elaborate arrangements have been made at the main venue for the entry of VVIPs, VIPs, delegates and general public with adequate parking.
