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800 journalists expected to cover Mahamastakabhisheka

Staff Correspondent

A modern media centre is being set up at a cost of Rs. 40 lakhs

SHRAVANABELAGOLA: There is severe competition for covering the Mahamastakabhisheka celebrations. The Department of Information is expecting more than 800 journalists for the event, and it is making arrangements for them to transmit reports and pictures to centres across the country.

A contingent of more than 100 journalists transmitted their reports and pictures related to the inauguration of the Mahamastakabhisheka celebrations on Sunday, by making use of the facilities at the mini media centre here.

The department is making preparations to set up a state-of-the-art media centre at a cost of Rs. 40 lakhs.According to S.N. Ashok Kumar, media adviser for SDJMC, the development in telecommunication had made the job of journalists easy now.

The situation was different in the beginning of the 20th century. It was Hornest Field who published a detailed report on the colourful anointing ceremony for Bahubali in 1887. The

report was published a day later, it is said.

However, J.M. Edward, who participated in the Mahamastakabhisheka in 1910, sent his report to `Madras Mail' newspaper with the help of a pigeon.

The trained pigeon delivered the report to the `Madras Mail' office in Madras (now Chennai) and the report was published in the evening edition of the paper.

In view of this, the SDJMC has come out with the logo of a pigeon carrying a letter.

Journalists started using the postal service to send their reports from Shravanabelagola in 1953, but the reports got published two days later.

After the launch of telephone and telegram facility to Shravanabelagola in 1967, reports of the Mahamastakabhisheka started getting published the next day. A special telegraph line was drawn to Shravanabelagola especially to help mediapersons. Tele-printer facility was extended to this pilgrim town in 1981 and closed circuit TVs were used to telecast the event. All India Radio, which recorded the running commentary of the event and broadcast it the same evening in 1967 launched the live broadcast of the event in 1981. Doordarshan telecast the event live in 1981 and 1993.

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