The Kittur Utsav, marking the 200th anniversary of Rani Channamma’s victory, turned out to be a subdued event, despite the government’s allocation of Rs 5 crore for the celebration. The three-day festival, which commenced on Wednesday in Kittur, struggled to draw an audience, with approximately 70% of the seats remaining empty during the inaugural ceremony, including many reserved for VIPs.
An unexciting lineup of events led to a lack of interest from attendees. In previous years, the government allocated Rs 1 crore for the festival; however, this year’s significant funding did not translate into a memorable experience due to poor organization and a lack of innovative ideas. A planned air show was canceled at the last minute.This year marked the introduction of bouncers at the event, in addition to extensive police security, seemingly to justify the expenditure, as they were seen blocking attendees at the gates.
With Chief Minister Siddaramaiah absent from the inaugural ceremony, the event was inaugurated by district in-charge minister Satish Jarkiholi, alongside women and child welfare minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, local MLA Babasaheb Patil, and Bailhongal MLA Mahantesh Koujalagi. Karwar MP Vishweshwar Hegade Kageri was also in attendance.
During his address, Minister Jarkiholi announced plans to relocate the Rani Channamma History Study Centre from Vijayapura to Belagavi. He further stated that the name of Rani Channamma University would be changed to Kittur Rani Channamma University and promised the establishment of a Rani Channamma Museum in Belagavi. “As I pledged last year, the public works department will continue to allocate Rs 5 crore annually for infrastructure development in Kittur. These funds should focus on building roads and toilets,” he added. Additionally, a commemorative postage stamp was unveiled by the postal department during the ceremony.
