Plans to celebrate Kittur Utsav in grand manner, says Satish Jarkiholi

Kittur Utsav, set to take place from October 23-25, will be celebrated on a grand scale this year, according to Satish Jarkiholi, the Minister for Public Works and Belagavi district. The State government has allocated ₹5 crore for the festival, while the Public Works Department will spend another ₹5 crore on infrastructure development in Kittur. The minister made these announcements at a meeting to review preparations for the event.

The Utsav is being modeled on Mysore Dasara, with plans to invite a renowned writer or thinker to inaugurate the festival, rather than the district in-charge Minister. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara will decide on the new tradition. The Chief Minister will also participate in the valedictory ceremony.

The program will focus on public engagement through discussion sessions, with the Department of Education organizing events beneficial for children. Indigenous sports like wrestling will receive greater emphasis during the festival. A cattle fair, suggested by Babasaheb Patil, the Kittur MLA, will be held as part of the Utsav. A krishi mela will showcase farming technologies and advanced practices to benefit farmers.

The 'Vijaya Jyothi Yatra' will be inaugurated in Bengaluru and reach Kittur on the first day of celebrations. A half-marathon from Suvarna Vidhana Soudha to Kittur Fort is also planned. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan, Police Commissioner Prakash Nikam, Zilla Panchayat CEO Rahul Shinde, NWKRTC Vice-Chairman Sunil Hannamannavar, Santosh Hangal, Commissioner of Kittur Development Authority, and other officials attended the meeting.