Vishakha Utsav Drawing Massive Crowds Amid Free Concerts And Adventure Sports
"The festival is being held along the 26-kilometre Beach Road from Visakhapatnam to Bheemili, with over 500 events featuring 600 artists": Amarapali Kata, Managing Director of AP Tourism Development Corporation
VISAKHAPATNAM: The nine-day Vishakha Utsav being celebrated along the beach road in Visakhapatnam is attracting massive crowds, with free cultural events and musical concerts on the menu, apart from adventure sports.
In a departure from previous years, wherein similar concerts organised by private parties charged from ₹1,000 to ₹25,000 per ticket, state government has made all performances at this year's Vishakha Utsav free to the public.
Themed "Sea to the Summit," the festival started on January 24 and has already drawn unprecedented footfalls, particularly to the concerts, which have so far featured performances by renowned singers like Kanika Kapoor on Republic Day (January 26) and Jawed Ali (January 27).
Upcoming performances are by Geeta Madhuri (January 29), Abhijeet Nair (January 30), Ram Miriyala (January 31), and Swetha Mohan.
"The festival is being held along the 26-kilometre Beach Road from Visakhapatnam to Bheemili, with over 500 events featuring 600 artists," disclosed Amarapali Kata, Managing Director of AP Tourism Development Corporation.
Among the festival's other big draws are helicopter rides and paragliding experiences, which, though payable, are attracting long queues.
Sports events can be witnessed for free, with the Coastal Volleyball League, Coastal Kabaddi League, and Football League at R.K. Beach from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on 27, January 28, and January 29.
Water sports competitions include a kayaking event at Rushikonda Beach starting at 7:00 a.m. on January 29, followed by a boating competition at Bheemili Beach at 2:00 p.m. the same day.
A spectacular flower show will be held at the Central Park from January 29 to January 31 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., while the Swarna Bharathi Stadium will host a Children's Olympics on January 31 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A rangoli at the VMRDA Children Arena, "Crown of Vizag" and a culinary competition by Sun International School are scheduled on January 30.
Adding to the excitement, a treasure hunt being organised on January 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. across different colleges has attracted around 25 teams from various locations.
Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers to manage the surging crowds along the Beach Road and at various venues.
Adding to the festival's significance, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to inaugurate the Araku Valley component of the Vishakha Utsav at the College Grounds in Araku Valley on January 29.
Cultural events have been distributed across multiple locations from January 24 to 31, including continuous programming at R.K. Beach (January 25–31), Gokul Park and Bheemili Beach (January 27–28).
