Kannada pride pervades the air as lit fest kicks off in Kalaburagi

Kannada pride pervaded the air as residents lined up on either side of the route of the procession of the president of the 85th Akhila Bharatha Kannada Sahitya Sammelana H S Venkatesh Murthy in the city on Wednesday morning.

The literary festival is being held in the district, called the tur bowl of India, after a gap of three decades. The procession began from S M Pandit Rangamandira. About 5,000 school and college students and 1,000 women took part in the six-km-long procession.

The procession was kick-started at 9 am. Kannada literary enthusiasts, who descended on Kalaburagi for the literary fair walked with the procession from the Ranga Mandir to Gulbarga University campus in Kalaburagi, the venue of the Sahitya Sammelana.

Murthy, accompanied by Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Manu Baligar, was brought to the venue of the meet in a specially decorated chariot. A total of 10 chariots carrying the district presidents of the Parishat rolled on behind the chariot of the Sammelana president.

As many as 60 folk troupes took part in the procession. The artistes performed folk art forms like Dollu Kunita, Somana Kunita, Gombe Kunita, Jaggalige and Nagari. A statue of poet Basavanna and a replica of his Anubhava mantapa adorn the main stage.

A verbal duel ensued between police and book publishers as the latter were disallowed into the stalls allotted to them, citing security as the reason in the wake of the arrival of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for the inauguration of the Sammelana. Later, they were pacified and allowed into the stalls.

Zero traffic arrangement was made to facilitate the convoy of Yediyurappa to reach the venue from the airport, which is 12 km away from the city. Due to this, Kannada enthusiasts travelling to the venue faced hardships.