A three-day Konkani literary and cultural festival — Konkani Lokotsav — showcasing the vibrancy of 41 Konkani-speaking communities will be held in the city from February 10.
The festival, which will be organised by the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, will be a mammoth congregation of Konkani-speaking communities from Hindu, Christian and Muslim religions, said Roy Castelino, president of the academy, on Friday. He told reporters that the event will feature rich folk dances of Siddi, Kudmi, Kharvi, Huluswara and other tribes and communities. People can taste ethnic Konkani food for three days and Konkani costumes, customs, utensils, traditions and practices will be showcased. In all, there will be 60 exhibition stalls.
There will also be seminars, lectures and interactive sessions on sustaining the Konkani tradition and culture. A procession exhibiting a variety of dances, songs, instrumental music and Konkani art forms will be taken out in the city, Mr. Castelino said.
The main venue of the festival is Town Hall.
Mr. Castelino said as a national language, Konkani finds its royal place in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. It is the State language of Goa and is a popular regional language in Maharashtra, Gujarat, coastal Karnataka and Kerala. Konkani-speaking people have found success in the business, industry, banking, education and healthcare sectors.
Something for everyone
The focus of the first day of the festival will be on women and children, who will get to showcase their varied literary and cultural talents. Youngsters will be the stars of day two, which will see a variety of talent shows and cultural programmes. The third day will be dedicated to all Konkani-speaking people, irrespective of region, age and gender. The academy’s honorary award, book award and youth award will be presented that day. Books will be released and achievers felicitated on the final day.
Konkani cultural troupes interested in performing at the festival should apply to the academy on or before December 12. Those who would like to put up stalls can contact the academy by dialling 0824-2453167 or go to its its office in the Mangaluru City Corporation building at Lalbagh.
Mr. Castelino released the logo of the festival on the occasion.
