Mangalore: 45-day-long Karavali Utsava-2014 begins

Mangalore, Jan 12: Minister for forest, environment and ecology and Dakshina Kananada district-in-charge B Ramanath Rai said that next year onwards Karavali Utsav will be organized with grandeur and the event will be inaugurated on the last Friday of the last month every year.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Karavali Utsava - 2014, organised by the district administration, which was kick started at Karavali grounds in the city on Sunday.

“The festival has started losing its charm and I have felt that many a times. Therefore, we have taken a decision to ensure that Karavali Utsav should not appear as any other government programme, but it should become a people's festival,” he said.

The Minister also revealed the organisers' plans to arrange crafts expo from different states and also give opportunity for outside talents along with local talents in the cultural programmes.

Scholar and former principal of St Aloysius College Rev Fr Prashanth Madtha, who formally inaugurated the event said the local festivals are not just meant for celebration, but also they help to preserve the originality of culture and tradition.

Speaking about the importance of learning different languages, he said learning languages helps to understand a wide variety of cultures and in turn it makes an individual broad-minded in his approach. “We all should unite, but not become just one,” he said.

He mentioned about some of the uniqueness of the coastal district and said, perhaps, Mangalore is the only city which is called by nine different names by people belonging to different communities, religions and regions. No individual can survive in this coastal region without knowing at least five languages.

Despite the delay and initial apprehension over organising the annual event, Karavali Utsava - 2014 commenced on Sunday. The mega event which will last for 45 days, comprises 32 mega stalls, 40 frontline stalls and 10 regular stalls with wide range of commodities and food items for sale. An amusement park with Tora Tora, Dragon train, Columbus, Zigzag, Chand Tara (First time), Octopus are special attractions for children.Cultural programmes by local talents will be organised everyday evening.

MLAs J R Lobo, Mohiudeen Bava, Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Kannada Sahitya Parishad president Pradeep Kumar Kalkura were present among others.