BELLARY: Does the Hampi Utsav, the three-day cultural festival being organised annually in Hampi, the seat of the erstwhile Vijayanagar empire in Bellary district, need to be moderated?

It seems yes, going by the results of a study by the Urban Design, Built Heritage, Architecture and Visual Arts (UDBHAVA), a Bangalore-based organisation, which conducted the study during the Hampi Utsav held in 2005.

The festival should have a more relevance to the world heritage site, with due respect shown to monuments and should not become a "mela", the report says, which has been submitted to M.P. Prakash, Minister for Home . The study commissioned by the Archaeological Survey of India, Bangalore Circle, covers various facets of the utsav. The UDBHAVA team is of the view that the scale of the festival is beyond the carrying capacity, posing problems to the organisation handling the festival.

Efforts could be made to recreate stages based on the architecture of Hampi and to promote local art and crafts, the report adds.

It called for reducing the number of venues and spreading out to different locations to avoid concentration on one zone . Instead of restricting the performances to evenings, some events could be held in the mornings. The three-day festival could be increased to seven days to give justice to all artistes, the report added.

The report says the Ram Ghat area is ideal for organising the light and sound show, one of the most popular events of the utsav.

At present, the event is being held near the Elephant Stables .The report highlights the lack of preparation to meet contingencies during the utsav.

As all venues are concentrated in one area there is a greater possibility of mishaps.

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