The Belum Caves Festival has been postponed to January after the dates clashed with Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan’s visit to the district. The plan was to organise the festival on December 21 and 22. However, with the Governor’s district tour being on December 22, the plans were put off.
Joint Collector Syed Khaja Mohiuddin told The Hindu that later alternative plans were made to celebrate the festival on December 28 and 29.
However, as the new dates are clashing with the dates of Visakha Utsav, the district authorities are forced to postpone the festival again.
District Tourism Officer B. Venkateswarlu said that the Ministers were visiting Visakha Utsav and wouldn’t be able to make it to the Belum Caves Festival if the dates clashed.
However, he added that they are in communication with the higher-ups and would conduct the festival as soon as the schedule is approved by Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao.
“We expect the festival to be organised in January, after Sankranti,” said Mr. Mohiuddin. The government released about ₹1 crore for the festival, which is to be celebrated in a bid to promote Belum Caves. The district authorities have decked up the caves and erected temporary structures.“We are completely prepared to launch the festival as soon as the government gives us the green signal,” said Mr. Venkateswarlu.
