The Hindu

• Impressive procession taken out on day one 

Shimoga, Dec 21: Gaiety marked the start of the 73rd All-India Kannada Sahitya Sammelan here on Wednesday and the procession that was taken out on the occasion proved to be the highlight.

The nearly one km long procession that commenced from the Science Field on BH Road at 3 p.m. took nearly four hours to reach the Nehru Stadium.

The procession came to be described by old timers as the biggest ever taken out in the recent past.

Daijiworld exclusive caricature of poet K S Nisar Ahmed by Harini

The procession started after puja was offered to Goddess Bhuvaneshwari by president of the sammelan K.S. Nisar Ahmed and his wife, Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Minister for Water Resources K.S. Eshwarappa, Minister for Higher Education D.H. Shankaramurthy and president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Chandrashekar Patil

While the portrait of the goddess was kept in a separate decorated vehicle, the dignitaries stood in the "Hamsa Ratha" waving to the roadside crowd.

Members of folk troupes in attractive costumes added colour to the procession.

An artiste wearing the costume of Shivappa Nayak — the most benevolent ruler of the Keladi dynasty — and riding a horse and an artiste in the costume of Goddess Durga were the cynosure of all eyes.

Tableaux from the six taluks depicting their cultural heritage came in for appreciation.

While the immaculately dressed women carried the "Poorna Kumbha Kalasa," many artistes donned the role of Onake Obavva, Madakari Naik and Da. Ra. Bendre.

Women drew "rangoli" all along the route which enhanced the visual impact of the procession.

It was around 7 p.m. that the procession reached Nehru Stadium after passing through B.H. Road, Ameer Ahmed Circle, Nehru Road, Gopi Circle, Durgi Gudi, Jail Circle and Kuvempu Road.

Apart from the delegates, representatives of various cultural, social and literary organisations participated in the procession.