KARWAR: Karavali Utsav 2018, a three-day cultural extravaganza, was inaugurated in Karwar on Saturday. Karwar’s Rabindranath Tagore Beach came alive as hundreds of tourists and residents thronged the venue to get a glimpse of events and exhibition.
The three-day event will not only showcase the culture, music and local art of the coast, but will also go a long way in attracting tourists to Karwar and surrounding areas.
The day began with Rear Admiral K J Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding, Karnataka Naval Area, inaugurating a fruits and flower exhibition and fish festival near the Warship Museum. Deputy Commissioner S S Nakul accompanied him.
A rangoli competition was held at the DC’s office where more than 100 women participated. At Maladevi Grounds, Kabaddi was organised where 10 teams participated. The finals will be held on Sunday at the same venue. At Zilla Rangamandira, cultural programmes were inaugurated.Talks were also organised at Zilla Rangamandira.
Padma Shri awardee Girish Bharadwaj, who is also known as the “Bridge Man,” addressed hundreds of students from various colleges. He narrated how he faced difficulties during the start of the construction of the hanging bridge.
The festival was formally inaugurated on Saturday evening by Revenue Minister R V Deshpande at Mayuravarma Vedike on Rabindranath Tagore Beach. Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde and Karwar MLA Roopali Naik were also present.
“The state has been making all efforts to make Uttara Kannada district a tourist hub which will provide employment to locals and bring revenue to them,” Deshpande said.