The stage is set for the inauguration of the three-day mega tourism and cultural extravaganza – Visakha Utsav – to be held from Thursday. A treasure hunt on wheels, music, dance, food, water sports, helicopter rides, flower show and temple replicas, the festival promises something for everyone.
Tourists and visitors can enjoy all these on the 2-km stretch from R.K. Beach to VUDA Park. The food stalls, to be set up by various hotels on the beach, would dish out not only local varieties of food items but also tickle the taste buds of people coming from other parts of the countryas also international tourists through international cuisines. Indian Navy will present water sports like: sail boat corvette race, sea swimming by divers and search and rescue operations by helicopter. Shops will offer special discounts and prizes on purchases made during the three-day festival and star hotels will give away dinner coupons to guests through lucky draws.
Collector Pravin Kumar visited the main stage at RK Beach on Wednesday. Regional Director of Tourism R. Sriramulu Naidu, Principal Consultant (Tourism) to the Government of AP, Kaushik Mukherji and Samit Garg of E Factors explained to the Collector on the progress of various works.
Later, the Collector said the festival would be inaugurated at the main stage at 5 p.m. on Thursday. A carnival would be held from the YMCA to RK Beach at 4 p.m. in which 10,000 students were expected to participate. Cultural activities would be held at the Jathara stage, opposite Novotel and a flower show would be organised at VUDA Park.
There would prizes in the sports competitions and luck draws. A total of ₹ 25 lakh (sponsored by local business establishments) would be given away as prizes in the lucky draw. The bumper prizes include: an Enfield Bullet motorcycle, a free trip abroad, 20-gm gold, one i-phone besides 10 tickets for free helicopter rides to 40 persons.
The bumper prize would be a Maruti Brezza car. Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasad, Union Minister Sujana Choudhary, Ministers Bhuma Akhila Priya, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, MP s and MLAs would participate as guests at the inaugural function.
Mr. Ganta Srinivasa Rao would inaugurate the heli-tourism at Rushikonda at 2 p.m. and proceed in the same helicopter to VUDA Park along with the Speaker and Minister Adinarayana Reddy, where the flower show would be inaugurated at 2.30 p.m.
The TU-142 Aircraft Museum will be open for people from Thursday and heli- tourism trips will also begin with the inauguration of helipad at Rushikonda marking the beginning of the Utsav.
The aircraft museum was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind.
According to VUDA Vice-Chairman P. Basanth Kumar, the entry ticket will be ₹ 70. A combination ticket for Kursura Submarine Museum and the museum will be priced at ₹ 100. The visitors will have to buy a separate ticket for the gaming zone there.
The museum complex also houses a coffee shop and souvenir shop.
With the launching of heli-tourism by VUDA, in association with Pawan Hans from Thursday, it will be available for people. The 10-minute city trip costing ₹ 2,499 a person will begin from Rushikonda. The PSU carrier that brought a twin-engine craft for inauguration by the Chief Minister will operate a single engine chopper from Thursday.
For the convenience of tourists/public, VUDA arranged sale of tickets/advance booking at five locations viz. Rushikonda, the Submarine Museum, Eighth floor at VUDA Office, MGM site at VUDA park and APTDC office at RTC Complex
Flower show
Arrangements are going on a hectic pace for the flower show “Parimala” at VUDA Park as a part of Visakha Utsav. Flowers are being brought from Bangalore and VUDA is spending Rs.60 lakh on the show.
Later, they would proceed to the Aircraft Museum and visit other venues on the beach.
