BELLARY: The historic town of Hampi is all set to stage the Hampi Utsav, a cultural extravaganza to be held from January 27 to 29. The grandeur of erstwhile Vijayanagar empire will unfold at the main stage near Gayatri Peetha.
Film stars Shreya, Shobhana and B Jayashree, percussionist Shivamani, besides artistes from across India, Russia and China will participate in the threeday programme. Kannada stars Shiva rajkumar and Puneet Rajkumar will present programmes on the last day.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will inaugurate the Utsav on January 27 at 5 pm and Minister Govind Karjol will release several books on the occasion. Minister B Sreeramulu will inaugurate the second day's programme and senior BJP leader and MP Ananth Kumar, Janardhan Reddy and Karunakar Reddy will take part in the third day of the event.
Camels and elephants will add majesty to the grand procession of the utsav. The district authorities has made temporary arrangements for hospitals, toilets, drinking water and bus facilities at the venue. In view of the several VIPs and a huge crowd expected to attend the event, heavy police bandobast has been made in Hampi town. Two additional SPs, 11 DySPs, 34 CPIs, 88 SIs, 126 ASIs, 1,063 HCs, 140 women head constables, besides 525 home guards, seven platoons each of DAR and KSRP will man the security arrangements. Metal detectors and CCTV cameras have been erected at important places.
Stages
The centre of attraction of Utsav, the main stage, is being built near Gayatri Peetha.
Around 180 artisans under the leadership of designer Shashidhar Adapa of Bangalore worked relentlessly to get ready the 150 ft long and 100 ft wide main stage. 35,000 people can witness the programme on the main stage. Six additional stages at Eduru Basavanna, Kaddirampur, Veerupksha temple, Kamalapur and near Sasuvekalu Ganapati have been built for staging various cultural programmes during the utsav. Artifacts made up of wood, steel and fibre were used in the building the stages. Oil and water based enamels have been used to prepare historic scenes, sketches and idols to be erected on different stages.
Exhibition
A big pandal housing around 150 stalls for exhibition and sale of different articles has been erected near 'Raniyara Snanagriha'. The exhibitions will have 30 separate stalls for books.
Hampi Development Authority banned movement of heavy vehicles from Gejjala Mantapa to Vittala Mantap during the utsav. Oneway traffic rules have been imposed in the Hampi region for a period of three days.
CM to visit Hampi today
Bellary: Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will inaugurate the Hampi Utsav to be held at Hampi from January 27 to 29.
He will land at Jindal airstrip at 5 pm on Thursday, and will reach Hampi by road. He will leave for Bangalore at 9.35 pm, stated a release.
Bhoomi puja
District incharge Minister G Janardhan Reddy performed bhoomi puja for the sixlane road work near new bus stand here on Wednesday. The work on stretch connecting Moti Circle with APMC yard is being undertaken at an estimated cost of `15.35 crore, stated a release.