The Sri Durga Malleswara Swamivarla Devasthanam is flooded with applications from artistes, urging it to give them an opportunity to perform in the cultural programmes to be organised during Dasara festival commencing Tuesday.
Temple authorities have received as many as 860 applications this year. The number of applications received in 2010 were only 400. The applicants hail from far off places such as Balasore in Odisha, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bangalore. The temple will be able to accommodate only 260 programmes during the nine-day festival, officials say.
The officials have shortlisted applications pertaining to music, bhajans, ‘harikatha’, ‘burra katha’, dance, mimicry, magic shows, and ‘kolatam’.
Subrata Mukherjee from West Bengal, noted musicians such as Annavarapu Ramaswamy, Dandamudi Sumati Rammohan, Govindarajan, and P. Janaki, and celebrated Kuchipudi dancers — Chinta Ravi Balakrishna and Yeleswarapu Srinivasulu — would perform at the Mallikarjuna Mahamandapam.
This apart, the temple management is planning to organise a few special programmes such as mimicry this year. It plans to arrange ‘kolatam’ and bhajans near the Gosala atop Indrakeeladri.
Dream come true
With this, the artistes’ long-cherished dream of performing close to the temple or atop Indrakeeladri will be fulfilled.
Following a suggestion from Vijayawada (West) MLA Velampalli Srinivas Rao, the temple authorities have decided to organise the cultural programmes at the mahamandapam.
There has been widespread criticism that organising cultural programmes at Tummalapallivari Kshetrayya Kalakshetram would be of no use. The temple has been organising the programmes at the kalakshetram in view of the practical difficulties involved at venues closer to the temple.
Artistes used to complain that the police on duty are not allowing them to reach the temple with their paraphernalia.
