Bengaluru: A record 228 pairs of buffaloes have been registered for the first-ever Bengaluru Kambala, beginning on November 25 at Palace Grounds.
The much-celebrated sporting event is expected to bring in between six to eight lakh visitors, organisers said on Wednesday.
The organisers expect 228 pairs of buffaloes and their handlers to arrive in the city on Thursday with much pomp and fervour. They will depart from Uppinangady, Dakshina Kannada district, at 9.30 am on Thursday in lorries arranged by the organisers and stop at Hassan and Nelamangala before reaching Palace Grounds by Thursday night, media convenor Manjunath Kanyadi told DH.
"Nearly 69 organisations from Dakshina Kannada have come together to make this happen with the sole goal of displaying and celebrating our culture in Bengaluru, a global city,” he said.
The event, which is free for all, will also host cultural programmes featuring the who's who of Sandalwood, besides a coastal food and culture festival, at the Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadeyar Vedike. The main arena has been named Puneeth Rajkumar Vedike, he added.
Kanyadi said that nearly 10,000 workers have been pressed into service and have been divided into 40 committees to handle food, sanitation, and other services.
Ashok Kumar Rai, Puttur Congress MLA and president of the Bengaluru Kambala Committee, noted that this would also boost tourism and interest in the cultural heritage of the coast.
"Participants are coming for the pride, not for the money. It is to showcase the rich culture of coastal Karnataka to the world," he said.
Published 22 November 2023, 21:09 IST