Konaseema To Host Sankranti Sambaralu, Godavari Trophy
Collector Mahesh Kumar Ravirala reviews arrangements for grand, peaceful celebrations
Kakinada: Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district collector Mahesh Kumar Ravirala has said that Sankranti Sambaralu and the Sir Arthur Cotton Godavari Trophy Festival will be celebrated on a grand scale from January 11 to 13 at Atreyapuram village in a peaceful atmosphere.
He convened a meeting with officials from the RDO, RWS, irrigation, police and tourism departments at Amalapuram on Tuesday to review arrangements for the festivals.
The collector said swimming competitions would begin at 7 am on January 11 at the Atreyapuram canal locks. Cash prizes of Rs 8,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 4,000 will be awarded to the first, second and third prize winners respectively. Rangoli competitions will be held on Atreyapuram main road from 9 am on the same day, with prizes of Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 for the top three positions.
On January 13, kite-flying competitions will be organised from 12 noon at Atreyapuram, with cash prizes of Rs 6,000, Rs 4,000 and Rs 3,000 for first, second and third place respectively.
The Konaseema Sankranti Festival and the Godavari Trophy Dragon Boat Festival will be conducted on January 12 and 13 at the Atreyapuram canal, downstream of the Lolla locks, from the Uchili temple to the bridge. Nearly 28 teams from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are expected to participate in the boat races. The winning team will receive a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, while the runners-up will be awarded Rs 1 lakh.
As part of the Sankranti celebrations, a film orchestra programme will be held at 7 pm on January 11 at the Atreyapuram High School grounds. The collector instructed tourism department officials to arrange two speedboats along with a jetty for transportation.
He said in-charge officials would be appointed to oversee arrangements and ensure the success of the event. Officials were also directed to arrange parking facilities, mobile toilets and medical camps with PHC doctors, while drill masters would be deployed under the supervision of the district sports development authority.
He suggested creating an audio song highlighting the cultural significance of Atreyapuram and Vadapalli villages for circulation on social media. He added that 100 women have registered so far to participate in the rangoli competitions. A Band Sehari programme will be held from 7 pm to 12 midnight on January 12.
