BENGALURU: Infosys Foundation in association with Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Bengaluru, will be organising a three-day cultural festival at Anupu, a village on the banks of Krishna river near Nagarjuna Sagar Dam from December 9.
The venue has historical and archaeological value and is said to be designed around 1,700 years ago. This is said to be one of the oldest open air theatres constructed in that era.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday about the venue, Sudha Murty from Infosys Foundation said, “The then king Shivaku, who had been to Greece, got this concept of open air theatre and constructed it.”
She said, she came up with this concept of organising a cultural festival in this amphitheatre during her casual visit to the venue last year.
The place was discovered and unearthed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). “It was discovered when Nagarajuna Sagar Dam was constructed in 1960s,” she said. It was unearthed and re-established at Anupu, which is three kilometres from the dam. “It is a unique place. Infosys is giving `1 crore for the festival,” she said.
Director, BVB, H N Suresh said over 225 artists from 16 teams will be performing dance and music. The place is around 160 kms from Hyderabad. “All the artistes performing there are locals,” he said.
Similar fest at Bidar
Infosys Foundation, which is organising dance, music and painting festival at Puligere in Gadag distict from January 6 to January 7 in 2017, is planning to conduct a similar event at Bidar. Sudha Murthy said Mahmud Gawan’s fort in Bidar is also one of the historical monuments, in which she would like to organise cultural festival.
“We need to take permission from the ASI and other concerned authorities. We hope we will do it in the coming years. I also have plans to conduct one at Vijayapura and Harihara.” she said.