Two new pavilions at Exhibition Grounds

Promotional activities of Dasara-2013 will be extensive: Minister

Two new pavilions, dedicated to depict the arts and crafts of Mysore and the variety of industries in the State, will come up at Exhibition Grounds, during Dasara 2013.

The Artisan Pavilion, under the theme of ‘Crafts of Karnataka’, will be a set up of 101 stalls and is aimed to encourage artisans for Karnataka and other States to exhibit their art forms. Similarly, an Industrial Lead Pavilion will also come up with 106 stalls, where different industries and products manufactured by them will be displayed.

Minister for Higher Education and Tourism, R V Deshpande addressing a press meet at Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Tuesday said that railway fares and lodging facilities for the participating artisans will be arranged by the State government and district administration.

Promotional activities

Deshpande said that promotional activities for Dasara has been taken up extensively. Promotional activities are being taken up in in-flight magazines such as Air India and Jet wings, travel and entertainment magazines, apart from internet sites and popular radio stations.

Tourist information counters are bing set up in airports of New Delhi, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Goa and Mysore, in railway stations and also in Delhi Metro trains, the Minister said. “We have tried to promote Dasara throughout the country and abroad,” he said.

Apart from this, 10 package tours have also been launched by Karnataka State Tourism Development Board (KSTDC) and Karnataka State Road Transportation Corporation (KSRTC). The packages by KSRTC, Giridarshini, Jaladarshini, Devadarshini and Nagaradarshini will ferry tourists to major tourist destinations around Mysore such as Nanjangud, Srirangapatna, Bylukuppe, KRS, Bandipur and others. KSTDC has six similar packages for the benefit of the tourists, he said.

Permanent exhibition

Exhibition is being held only for 90 days during Dasara at Exhibition Grounds in the city. We have asked for a Detailed Project Report to organise exhibitions at the venue throughout the year, he said.

Plans are also being made for backwater tourism at KRS and Kabini backwaters, he said.