Kannada literary fest may see record participation

Mysuru: A decked up and illuminated Mysuru is all ready to host the three- day Akhila Bharatha Kannada Sahithya Sammelana, that takes off in the city on Friday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the literary fest in the presence of some of his Ministers,  president of the sammelana, Prof Chandrashekar Patil, 40  popular literateurs and over 1800 VIPs at the Maharaja’s College grounds. A record number of 13,500 delegates have registered to participate in the prestigious event that will see prof. Patil, popularly known as “Champa”  arrive at the venue in an “Akshara ratha” a chariot decked with 50 kgs of jasmines, to the tunes of the Nagaswara. The colourful procession, which will begin from the north gate of the Mysuru palace, will comprise  eight tableaux based on literary traditions, art and sculpture and the Mysuru royal family, among other themes, besides 52 cultural troupes, 3000 students, the police band, school bands, horse drawn chariots and mounted cops.

Besides attending various  symposiums, those attending the fest can look forward to an art display in a gallery,  a book exhibition with 450 book stalls and an exhibition of 250 commercial stalls.They will also get to enjoy cultural programmes that will be held near the palace, at Kirurangamandira, the Town Hall and near the small clock tower.   

While hoteliers have offered a 30 per cent discount on their rooms, the district administration is accommodating the 1,846 VIPs arriving for the sammelana in different government guest houses, and also in the guest houses of the JSS institution and Infosys. As many as 900 police personnel, seven KSRP and eight car platoons have been  deployed to provide security in the city for the duration of the fest. Besides five fire fighting  and emergency vehicles, six ambulances will also be on call as a precaution. The cost of  the Mysuru jasmine, which is being  used to  decorate the  chariot that will carry the president of the Kannada Sahithya Sammelana in  procession on Friday, has shot up  to Rs 800 a kg in the city.