Kannada Sahitya Parishat goes all out to make festival of letters free of plastic litter

Mysuru: With just 10 days left for the 87th Akhila Bharatha Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, the Mandya district administration and the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP) are actively making all arrangements for the smooth conduct of the annual Kannada literary convention.

The Sammelana will be held on December 20, 21 and 22 behind Sanjo Hospital on the outskirts of Mandya city. Veteran writer and folklorist Go Ru Channabasappa will preside over the Sammelana.

More than three lakh people are expected to attend the three-day event.

The authorities have made all efforts to ensure that the Sammelana is a plastic-free Sammelana. As an initiative, they have restricted the distribution of water bottles, while serving food to the participants.

According to a member of the Drinking Water Management Committee, steps have been taken to subject water samples for testing and then supply them to the people, every day. Instead of distributing water bottles, water will be served in paper glasses. This will help in reducing plastic waste to a great extent.

Sumptuous feast

Those attending the literary conference will not only be served a literary feast but also with mouth-watering cuisines, covering both North and South Karnataka.

More than 350 cooks and 900 helpers will work round the clock to serve breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner to the delegates.

The participants will get an opportunity to taste the signature dish of Mandya ‘ragi mudde soppina saaru’, sambar made of sprouted grams, avarekayi etc. Breakfast includes ragi dose and tatte idli. North Karnataka dishes, like jolada rotti, badanekayi ennegayi, chutney pudi, besides sweets, like holige, kayi mittai, badusha, dry jamun, mysuru pak, sweet pongal, and laddu, will be served.

Menu

The menu for December 20: Tatte idli, vade, upittu, Mysuru pak for breakfast. Lunch: kayi holige, jolada rotti, badanekayi ennegayi, menthye bath, rice, sprouted gram sambar, curds, banana, kosambari, pickle, papad and salad. Dinner: poori-saagu, Mysuru pak, avarekalu bath, raitha, banana, palya, salad and others.

December 21: Ragi dose, sweet pongal, khara pongal for breakfast. Lunch: akki roti, mixed vegetable palya, veg pulav, raitha, rice, sambar, laddu, kosambari, pickle, papad and salad. Dinner: chapathi, saagu, ghee rice, kurma, dry jamun, rice, sambar.

December 22: Dose-chutney, tomato bath, carrot halwa for breakfast. Bili holige, saagu, jeera rice, badusha, mudde, rice, soppina (greens) sambar, curds, banana, kosambari, pickle, papad and salad. For dinner menthya bath, raitha, kobri mitai, rice, rasam, curd, banana, kosambari, palya, pickle, papad and salad.

According to MLA Ramesh Babu Bandisiddegowda, equal importance has been given to both literary sessions and food served during the conference.

“All arrangements have been made to serve a variety of food to the participants. There is no compromise on this,” he added.