AP To Hold Avakai Cinema, Culture And Literature Festival At Bhavani Island
The festival will be from January 8 to January 10 at the Punnami Ghat and Bhavani Island in Vijayawada. Entry is free: Reports
VIJAYAWADA: In a first-of-its-kind, the Andhra Pradesh government has announced the Avakai Cinema, Culture and Literature Festival – a three-day open-air celebration that will showcase the richness of Telugu cinema, literature and performing arts.
The festival will be from January 8 to January 10 at the Punnami Ghat and Bhavani Island in Vijayawada. Entry is free.
Addressing media at the secretariat in Velagapudi of Amaravati, Tourism and Culture minister Kandula Durgesh said the festival is bringing cinema, literature, music, theatre, and culture together on a single public stage. It is part of the government’s vision of celebrating Telugu cultural heritage, while encouraging contemporary creative expressions.
The festival is being organised jointly by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department and Teamwork Arts. Durgesh said the event has taken shape under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM K. Pawan Kalyan, with the objective of positioning the Amaravati–Vijayawada region as a contemporary cultural capital.
Unlike conventional indoor festivals, Avakai will unfold in open public spaces along the Krishna riverfront, encouraging people’s participation. With Telugu cinema and storytelling gaining national recognition, the festival aims to project Andhra Pradesh as a hub for cultural exchange and artistic collaboration, projecting Amaravati as a literary and arts capital.
Tourism special secretary Ajay Jain said Avakai has been conceptualised as an inclusive cultural initiative that integrates multiple art forms with public spaces, supporting heritage conservation, creative growth and long-term tourism goals. He said festivals at Gandikota, Araku and Visakhapatnam are also planned in January, apart from the Flamingo Festival.
AP Tourism Development Corporation managing director Amrapali Kata said the festival will highlight the state’s cultural and creative strengths. Teamwork Arts MD Sanjay K. Roy described it as a platform for meaningful interaction between artists and audiences.
The three-day programme will feature discussions on Telugu cinema and literature, poetry and mushairas in Telugu and Urdu, performances in dance, music and theatre, puppetry workshops, heritage walks, river ferry rides and a food festival showcasing local cuisine.
