A kaleidoscope of colours splashed across the RK Beach, turning it into a grand spectacle during the recently-concluded Visakha Utsav. An initiative of AP Tourism held in association with E Factor, the event saw some popular names from the music industry come down to the city to entertain the crowds. From Grammy award winner Ricky Kej and singer KK to bands like Thaikuddam Bridge and The Local Train— music ruled the festival. Thousands of people from Visakhapatnam and neighbouring districts as well as tourists from West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha came to the city to experience the festival.
The three-day annual festival also showcased the folk and classical dances of Andhra Pradesh.
The second day was marked by a classical dance performance by Kuchipudi Kala Kendra and a folklore by Jathara, which were the major crowd-pullers.
But it was singer KK’s power-packed musical performance on the concluding day of the festival that won the hearts of the people. Notwithstanding the sudden dip in temperatures, families came to the breezy beachside venue well ahead of time to watch the live performances of their favourite artistes.
“This year, Visakha Utsav was particularly entertaining and vibrant with the impressive line-up of artistes. Singer KK’s performance was the show-stopper of the event! He sang so many of my favourite songs in his melodious voice,” says Dr Sneha Maroo, who attended the festival with her husband.
The flower show at Central Park was another big crowd-puller. With over two lakh flowers from 10,000 varieties, the flower show was a visual delight. “Most of the flowers were procured from Bengaluru, Kolkata and Kadiyam nurseries while the exotic ones were brought from Thailand,” says Sujay Dandapat, a flower dealer from Kolkata. A tethered hot air balloon at RK Beach was another major attraction. The lit-up balloon was placed as a promotion for the upcoming Araku Hot Air Balloon festival to be held from January 18 to 20.
