Udupi, Dec 2: The Udupi Utsava, the annual festival of the coastal district, got off to a colourful start here on Wednesday at the Royal Garden grounds comprising a grand display of culture and traditions of the country.
Udupi MLA Pramod Madhwaraj, who inaugurated the Utsav, said that the event had generated revenue of about Rs. 12 lakh for the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) last year.
This year, the CMC was expecting revenue of Rs. 13 lakh. He urged the CMC to use this money for the welfare of the weaker sections after consulting the Deputy Commissioner. The Udupi Utsava was being entirely organised and managed by a private agency.
He said that besides exhibition, there were lot of stalls and amusements for children. “The Udupi Utsava brings in revenue for the CMC and provides entertainment for the people,” he said.
He urged the organisers of the Udupi Utsava to provide parking space for vehicles which would be coming from different parts of the State on January 16 and 17 for the Paryaya festival.
Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt had called him and asked him to provide parking arrangements for vehicles at the Royal Gardens on these two days, Mr. Madhwaraj said. P. Yuvaraj, president of the CMC, said that the revenue generated from the Udupi Utsava should be used for providing housing for poor people.
Gautam Agarwal, head of the private agency, said that Udupi Utsava would provide over 25 amusement rides, many shopping stalls and food courts. A replica of the Taj Mahal was a major attraction this time. The Udupi Utsava exhibition would be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
The entry fee for the Utsava was Rs. 40 per person, with no charge for children below five years. Special tickets of Rs. 40 would be issued for school students, who would get free entry to six amusements. Safety aspects had been given importance at the exhibition grounds.
The attractions in the amusements section include ‘Italian tur tur’, break dance, giant wheel, dragon train, zig-zag, boating, electronic train, dragon-slide, and caterpillar, he said. Amrita Krishnamurthy, CMC vice-president, as well as Prashant Bhat and Geeta D. Shet, CMC councillors, were present. The Udupi Utsava will conclude on January 31.
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