Kalaburagi is set to host the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana for the fourth time since the tradition began. The 34-acre ground on the Gulbarga University campus is ready with a huge pandal named after Sri Vijaya, the author of Kannada’s earliest available work Kavirajamarga.
With a capacity to accommodate around 25,000 participants at a time, this main venue will host all important events, while two others named after Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi will host all parallel sessions.
The huge kitchen built near the main venue saw hectic activity on the eve of the sammelana. Apart from 1.5 lakh groundnut holige, three lakh sweets – one lakh each of Besan Laddu, Motichur Laddu and Mysore Pak – have been prepared. Six lakh rotis have been brought from outside. Over 50 tonnes of rice have been stocked. As many as 618 stalls have been built to facilitate the sales and exhibitions of books, with stall clusters named after Kagina, Krishna, Bhima, and Karanja rivers that flow in the region.
The event will begin with Deputy Chief Minister and Kalaburagi in-charge Govind Karjol and Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Manu Baligar unfurling the national flag and parishat flag on Wednesday, followed by a colourful procession in which president of the event H.S. Ventakeshamurthy will be brought to the venue traversing 5.5 km.
Later, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will inaugurate the fest and deliver his inaugural address. Chandrashekhar Kambar, president of the previous sammelana, will speak before Mr. Ventakeshamurthy will deliver his presidential address. Cultural events have been planned for all three venues every evening.
The valedictory event is on Friday at 4.15 p.m. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar will be chief guests.