Hampi Festival to be held in January

Hampi Festival will be held in January next year and the dates will be finalised after consulting the locals, Tourism Minister R V Deshpande announced in Bangalore on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after holding a preliminary meeting to discuss the preparation for the festival, Deshpande said Hampi Utsav at Hampi, the capital of the once prosperous Vijayanagara Empire, in Bellary district could not be held during the last two years due to drought.

Exhibitions

This time, international, national and local artistes will participate in the festival. Handicraft exhibitions and cultural programmes will also be organised, Deshpande said.

Minister of State for Labour P T Parameshwar Naik, who is the district in charge minister of Bellary, said a meeting of all stakeholders will be held in Bellary in November to finalise the exact dates. The cost of organising the festival will run to around Rs six crore he said and added that tourism department has provided a grant of Rs 25 lakh. The Kannada and Culture department has provided a grant of Rs one crore.

Financial assistance from the local zilla panchayat and industrial houses will also be sought, he said.