The Kittur Chennamma Festival will be celebrated on October 23, 24, and 25 with grandeur. MLA Babasaheb Patil and District Collector Mohammad Roshan shared details about the upcoming programs.
“All arrangements have been completed for the Kittur Utsav dedicated to Queen Chennamma. This year’s celebration will be no less magnificent than the 200th anniversary,” said Kittur MLA Babasaheb Patil.
Addressing a press conference after the sub-committee meeting in Kittur, he stated that Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda will inaugurate the festival on October 23. Ministers Satish Jarkiholi, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Shivaraj Tangadgi, Santosh Lad, and others are expected to attend, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to grace the closing ceremony.
District Collector Mohammad Roshan informed that ₹3.5 crore out of the sanctioned ₹5 crore has been released for the event, ensuring smooth arrangements and clearing last year’s small arrears. The festival lineup includes singer Anuradha Bhatt on October 23, the Sarigamapa team on October 24, and Bollywood playback singer Neeti Mohan on October 25. Cultural and literary programs will be held on three stages, featuring artists from various districts. A grand procession will also be held.
“To make the festival more inclusive, we are inviting renowned artists from across the country. Like last year, this year too, the Kittur Festival will be celebrated as a national event. Those who attended and appreciated Rani Chennamma’s legacy last year will be invited again,” Roshan added.
He clarified that a drone show will not be held this year. “Earlier, the grant was just ₹1 crore, but for the last two years, ₹5 crore has been sanctioned. Next year, a master plan will be implemented to make the event even more impressive,” he said.
This year, greater emphasis has been placed on literary and historical seminars to encourage school and college students to learn about the valor of Rani Chennamma and the heritage of Kittur, Karnataka.
Speaking about development works, the Deputy Commissioner said, “We never proposed building a new palace, but we are upgrading the existing fort and palace with works worth ₹18 crore already underway. Additionally, a ₹58 crore theme park project within Rani Chennamma Fort is in the tender stage and will begin soon.”
G.P. CEO Rahul Shinde, SP Dr. Bhimashankar Guleda, Bailhongal AC Praveen Jain, Belgaum AC Shravan Nayak, and Kannada and Culture Department Deputy Director Vidyavati Bhajantri were present on the occasion.
