Mangaluru: A handloom sari exhibition and Indian Artisan Bazaar will be a special attraction of the 30th edition of Alva's Virasat, a national cultural festival organised by Alva's Education Foundation, Moodbidri, said M Mohan Alva, chairman of the foundation.
Providing details about Alva's Virasat, Alva told reporters on Wednesday, that the event, which will attract one lakh visitors a day, will be held from Dec 10 to 15. This year's Virasat will feature distinctive programmes and collective performances exemplifying unity in diversity. Cultural programmes and fairs will transpire for the first five days, with Dec 15 dedicated to fairs and exhibitions.
Dr Alva said that the handloom sari festival and Indian artisan bazaar will be additional attractions. "The handloom sari and fabric festival, featuring products from 30 regions of India and those with GI tags, is a major attraction at this year's Virasat. Direct sales from weavers from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will be available. Products with GI tags and famous handloom items from various regions will be on sale, organised with the support of the Udupi Padmashali Weavers' Foundation," he said. At the artisan bazaar, art and craft items, clothing, jewellery, home decor, and rare and contemporary items will be on display. Diverse handicraft items from across India will be directly sold by artisans, similar to the Bengaluru Arts and Crafts Fair and Delhi's Meena Bazaar.
D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadikari, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, will inaugurate the festival on Dec 10. The event will be presided over by G Shankar, president of the G Shankar Family Trust, Udupi. There will be a grand cultural procession featuring over 3,000 artistes from more than 100 folk art troupes. The Alva's Virasat 2024 award will be presented to Hindustani classical musician Pandit Venkatesh Kumar on Dec 11, followed by his performance.
The festival will feature a diverse array of attractions, including an agricultural fair, a food fair, a craft and antique exhibition, a fruit and flower fair, an art fair, and a photography exhibition. There will be captivating art installations, a state-level scouts-guides and rovers-rangers camp, and a cultural festival.
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Performances: 6 pm to 9 pm
Dec 12: Musical evening by Osman Mir from Gujarat.
Dec 13: Performance from Neeladri Kumar and Troupe of Sound of India, followed by a performance by Ashim Bandhu Bhattacharya, Nrityolasa by Karthis Performing Arts, and concludes with Alva's Sanskritika Vaibhava.
Dec 14: Performance by Staccato, a Chennai-based band, followed by Sanskritika Ratha Swasthaana.