BALLARI: The Ballari district administration is all set to make the upcoming Hampi Utsav a grand success. If the organisers are to be believed, the event is going to be ‘bigger and better’ this time and the newly elected MLA of Vijayanagara, Anand Singh, is keen on leading the two day event.
The administration has said that the Utsav, which will be held on January 10 and 11, will be guided by the present district in-charge Minister Laxman Savadi. A meeting in this regard has been called on December 17.“We have submitted a proposal of `9 crore to Tourism and Kannada and Culture Departments. We are hoping for a positive response. In the last edition of the Hampi Utsav (March, 2018 ) six lakh people had attended the event. This time we are expecting more numbers of visitors,” said an official from the district administration.
Ballari Deputy Commissioner S S Nakul said that around 800 applications have come from artists and stalls. There are also requests from artists outside Karnataka. The Utsav will also give space for local artists to showcase their talents in the two days event. “The tender process has been completed and soon the stage construction will begin,” he said.
While Gayatri Peetha will be the main stage for the Utsav, there will also be stage named in memory of former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister M P Prakash who began Hampi Utsav in the early 1980s.
“The administration is working hard to make the event a grand success. Around 30 different communities have been formed for the smooth conduct of the Utsav. Security will be tightened and CCTV cameras will be used for keeping an eye on miscreants,” added another official. Meanwhile, rumours are thick that MLA Anand Singh will soon be made in-charge of Ballari district. With this, the locals hope that Singh will take the lead to make the event memorable.