Mangalore, Dec 24: With spectacular dances depicting the Ram-leela, Rangeelo and mythological dance forms and traditional dish items of coastal and Gujarati cuisine lined up at the sea shore at Panambur beach on Wednesday, the inauguration of Beach Utsav 2014-15 was a symphony of colours and flavours.
As a part of Karavali Utsav which was inaugurated with pomp yesterday in Mangaluru, the Beach Utsav is being held for a period of nine days this time.
As families thronged the beach on Wednesday evening, various food stalls attracted visitors to sample traditional home-made snacks such as onion pakoda, jola rottu, shenga holige, various seafood preparations such as anjal fry, prawns and squid fry, chicken biryani, chicken pulimunchi, neer dosa and Gujarati dishes such as dabeli, methi paratha, methi thepla, hot dog, basket chaat, dhokla, khandvi and bonda shake.
Students of Gujarathi Mahajan Association, Mangaluru enthralled the crowd with thrilling dance performances, while participating groups in the dance competition also performed after the inaugural ceremony.
On the occasion, Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai inaugurated the beach festival by launching a kite in the sky.
Speaking to reporters, he said that the Karavali festival was a celebration of local culture, traditions and cuisine and people could experience and enjoy the attractions showcased as part of the festival. People from the district and elsewhere can witness the beauty and richness of the local culture and the local cuisine, he said.
He said that arrangements had been made for a special cruise and surfing lessons with the intention of introducing something new with each festival. The district administration would try to make the festival better with each passing year, he said, adding that there was a proposal before the government to reduce the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) in the district in order to develop the beaches further.
Deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim, Mayor of Mangaluru City Corporation Mahabala Marla, Mangalore North MLA Moidin Bava, chairman of Karavali Utsav Beach Festival Committee Yathish Baikampady, DK Superintendent of Police S D Sharanappa, Pradeep Kumar Kalkura and others were present.
There was also a spectacular laser show organised by the information department during the programme.
To the amusement of visitors, a movie crew was deeply involved in filming a Tamil song at the beach for a movie titled'Kaadal Paithyam'.
Upcoming days
In the upcoming week, there will be spectacular kite-flying in the evenings at Panambur beach by'Team Mangalore' as well as competitions such as boating, sand sculpture, beach volleyball for men and women, cricket tournament, skating for children and cultural programmes by local dance troupes and teams from north Karnataka and Gujarat.
On December 31, there will be special musical performances on the occasion of New Year's Eve. The valedictory programme of Karavali Utsav 2014-15 will be held at the beach on January 1.
Comments
Add new comment