CHIKBALLAPUR: From this weekend, Nandi Hill will be not only about sight seeing. You can also do shopping at the famous picnic spot. The Chikballapur district administration has come with the concept, Nandi Santhe, atop the hills where food and various other items will be sold on Saturdays and Sundays.
As Nandi Hill, situated just 65 km from Bengaluru, attracts scores of people, particularly techies, during weekends, the new initiative is taken up by the administration in association with the zilla panchayat and the tourism department to make the spot more attractive, said Deputy Commissioner Anirudh Sharavan.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Sravan said it is proposed to have 10 temporary shops atop Nandi Hill on every Saturday and Sunday where five women self help groups (SHGs) and another five stalls by local producers will be set up.
They will sell silk cocoon garlands, hand made items like dolls, organic fruits, varieties of saplings, seeds and home made traditional foods. Masala items which will be useful for the homemakers will also sold. The food served at the Santhe will be hygienic, he said.
Not just quality, the district administration will also monitor the prices of the items sold there. Instructions have been given to stall operators not to overcharge. There is no question of compromising on quality, the DC said.
It is also proposed to have a leather puppet show by talented local artists on weekends to attract tourists, Sravan said.
The Nandi Santhe will take place between 8 am and 6 pm and arrangements have been for shop operators to stay atop the Nandi Hill on Saturday night with a free accommodation in the guest house.
The Nandi Santhe will be inaugurated on Saturday in the presence of Chikballapur MP Veerappa Moily, agriculture minister Shivashankar Reddy and others.