VISAKHAPATNAM: The three-day Visakha Utsav, which got underway on Friday, proved to be an extended holiday for the citizens, as a large number of men and women, with their children in tow, thronged the Beach Road, the main venue of the festival, on its second day on Saturday.
Traffic junctions, medians and lampposts along the roads leading to the main venue of the festival were aesthetically illuminated. The road from Jatara, opposite Novotel hotel to Kurusura Submarine Museum was chock-a-block with people.
“It’s a wonderful and truly people’s festival. Beach provided a perfect ambience to enjoy the Utsav,” said Bholanath Das, additional secretary of fire services, West Bengal, who came along with his wife and friends. He said that the Visakha Utsav was akin to the Digha Beach festival in West Bengal. He said it was good that all entertainment zones could be found at one place.
The city is very beautiful and clean, said homoeopath doctor from Kolkata, Mita Das. She said that the city has a lot of scope for promoting tourism.
Bhargav, a student of Success and Success School at Thatichetlapalem, who accompanied his parents, said that he relished a variety of food items at the food zone. He said he equally enjoyed riding the giant wheel and other paraphernalia in the amusement zone.
Santosh, who was manning the Atreyapuram food stall, said they had so far done good business and ‘putharekulu’ was the most sought-after sweet at the stall. It is good that the food zone was set up close to the main venue and as a result more people are visiting the food zone this time, he said.
Radha Devi said that she was very happy that she could have darshan of all deities at the replicas of famous temples set up at the Utsav venue. She said she along with her family members stood in the queue to have darshan of the deities.
D Srinivas, a teacher from Anandapuram, said that he used to take part in the Utsav on all the three days. And now, after marriage, he made it a point to visit the venue, at least on one day without a miss.