Kaladhara festival opens at Ibrahim Roza in Vijayapura

VIJAYAPURA: The second edition of the Kaladhara cultural festival, aimed at showcasing Vijayapura’s rich art, architecture and cultural heritage to an international audience, began on Friday at the historic Ibrahim Roza premises.

Conceptualised by Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sudha Murty, the festival was held at the Gol Gumbaz premises last year. This year, the celebrations have shifted to the iconic Ibrahim Roza.

District In-charge Minister Dr. M.B. Patil inaugurated the festival and said the government was taking steps to develop Vijayapura as a major international tourist destination.

Highlighting the district’s architectural treasures, Patil said Gol Gumbaz, known for its engineering excellence, Ibrahim Roza, believed to have inspired the Taj Mahal, and Bara Kaman had immense potential to attract tourists from across the world.

“Necessary measures will be taken to showcase Vijayapura’s historical monuments, architectural excellence and cultural heritage internationally and attract foreign tourists,” he said.

Patil said the festival had revived memories of the erstwhile Navarasapura Utsav. He added that suggestions from the Kaladhara organising team would be considered. He also noted that literary works of the Adil Shahi rulers had been translated into Kannada, while efforts were underway to translate Persian literature of the period into Urdu to reach readers in North India.

250 monuments

Deputy Commissioner Dr. Anand K. said Vijayapura had more than 250 historical monuments, of which 82 were protected monuments. He stressed the importance of public participation in preserving and developing these heritage structures.

Padma Shri awardee and renowned historian Dr. K. Mohammad, former Director of the Archaeological Department, attended as chief guest. Several officials and cultural representatives were also present.

Ghatam and Kuchipudi

The festival featured a Ghatam recital by Vidushi Sukanya Ramgopal, accompanied by Vani Manjunath on flute, Ranjani Venkatesh on mridangam and Ratnashree Iyer on tabla. Dr. Sanjay Shantaram and his troupe later presented a Kuchipudi dance performance, captivating the audience.