HAMPI: After several delays, Hampi Utsav is finally happening.The protests staged by people of Ballari over the last couple of months have paid off finally, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site has turned colourful, with monuments being lit up to host the event, which begins on Saturday.
However, this year, the event has been made shorter by one day, and the number of stages erected for the festival has been reduced to five, from the nine stages that were prepared during the previous edition in 2017.
While a main structure has been set up at Ediru Basavanna, two other stages have been constructed at Virupaksha temple and Kadalekalu Ganesha. There’s one stage enroute to Rathankoota, and Mahànvami Dibba is where visitors will be able to enjoy the for light and sound show.
Visitors, who shivered in the cold when the Hampi Utsav was held in November on previous occasions, will now have to brave the summer heat, which has already set in, with temperature soaring to 38°C on Friday.