The Hindu : Karnataka News : Advani to inaugurate extravagant Hampi Utsav

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Karnataka

Karnataka

Advani to inaugurate extravagant Hampi Utsav

Staff Correspondent

Chief Minister promises Rs. 1 crore in addition to the budget allocation of Rs. 1 crore for the utsav
Tourism Department to release Rs. 50 lakh

BELLARY: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani, along with Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, have been invited to inaugurate the Hampi Utsav, a three-day mega cultural festival of dance, music and drama, to begin at Hampi from November 3, according to G. Janardhan Reddy, Minister for Tourism.

Speaking to presspersons here on Thursday, Mr. Reddy said that noted film actor Hema Malini would also be among the star performers at the utsav.

“The high-powered committee for organising the Hampi Utsav, which met recently at Bangalore under my chairmanship, decided to orgainise the mega cultural festival on a grand scale. Instructions have been given to the concerned department officials to ensure that the Hampi Utsav is celebrated in a befitting manner. All the details, including the taking part of artistes of national and international fame, are being chalked out and would be made known this week,” he said.

Additional funds

Mr. Reddy said that the Chief Minister had assured that he would allocate Rs. 1 crore more, in addition to the budgetary provision of Rs. 1 crore for Hampi Utsav. Also, Tourism Department would be releasing Rs. 50 lakh. “Adequate funds have been released to celebrate Hampi Utsav on a grand scale,” he added.

Mr. Reddy informed that he had instructed the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation to ply two buses from each district during the utsav to enable people to witness the cultural extravaganza.

He has also requested the Ministers and politicians of the Rayalseema area (Cuddapah, Kurnool, Anantapur and Chittor districts of Andhra Pradesh, which were part of Vijayanagar empire) to not only participate in the utsav but also to arrange buses for the people of that area to enable them to recapture the past glory of the Vijayanagar Empire.

He said that arrangements are being made to accommodate the people coming from outside the district in Koppal and Gangavati. This would be in addition to the tent facilities to be erected by the Jungle Lodges.

Arrangements have also been made to publicise the event in New Delhi and other States, to attract tourists, besides providing live coverage of the festival in the electronic media, he said.

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