Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said that during the 10-day Karavali Utsav scheduled to be held from January 10 to 19, more opportunities will be given to locals to exhibit their talents.

Addressing the reporters at the DC’s office on Wednesday, January 8, he said that a variety of programmes will be held at three different venues – the Karavali Utsav ground, Kadri Park and Panambur Beach. A grand procession will be held from near the Nehru Maidan to Karavali Utsav Ground at around 3.30 pm on January 10, as part of the inauguration. Different cultural teams from across the state will participate in this procession.

The Utsav will be inaugurated by actor and director Rishab Shetty at around 6 pm, in the presence from Minister for Kannada and Culture and Tourism C T Ravi and other elected representatives of the district. The programme will be presided over by Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath.

Different cultural programmes will be conducted in both the Karavali Utsav ground and Kadri Park on all nine days of the Utsav. As part of the festivities, a three-day international kite festival will be held from January 17 to 19, wherein international kite fliers from Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Scotland, Turkey, Thailand, Netherlands and other countries will participate.

A district-level sports meet will also be held on January 11, where there will be a football tournament for high school boys (Nehru Maidan), volleyball tournament for degree college boys and girls and a throw ball tournament for high school girls (Mangala Stadium), wrestling competition for high school boys and girls (U Srinivas Mallya Indoor Stadium) and a basketball tournament for men and women (Mangala Stadium’s basketball court), the Minister informed.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh,  Additional Deputy Commissioner Roopa, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Shanady Ajith Kumar Hegde and others were present.