Report: Deccan Herald
Pics: VM Mangalore, for Daijiworld
Mangalore, Jan 2: The two-day Kadala Parba (‘Beach Festival’ in Tulu) concluded on Sunday in Panambur. The event, timed during the weekend, had people flocking to the beach on both days in large numbers.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Mogaveera Vyavasthapaka Mandali General Secretary Vasudev Boloor said, thousands of people participated in the festival. “The number of people coming here is much more compared to the last time,” he added. The festival was not held in 2004 as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the tsunami. A number of events were organised as part of the festival. Kids as well as grown ups were seen flying kites in gay abandon. While there were the usual colourful rectangle shaped kites, variations such as the ‘batman kite,’ a series of kites etc were also found to be flying high in the sky. Yet another kite, resembling a white and brown coloured eagle, sent many a people into tizzy, who mistook it for a real kite and ducked for cover whenever it hovered around them.
Some distance away, sand sculptors sat creating spectacular images out of the soft white sand on the beach. The event attracted a lot of attention and people had to be reminded constantly to stay off the area as it had been allotted for the participants.Throw Ball, the finals of which were held, in both mens’ and womens’ categories, was an e qually popular event. The Mogaveera Directory was released on the occasion by Udupi MP Manorama Madhwaraj.
A unique feature of this year’s festival was a food festival that was organised at the venue. It was inaugurated by New Mangalore Port Trust President P Tamilvanan.
Unique items belonging to the coast were sold at nominal rates at the venue and proved to be an instant hit with the people. Said Mr Boloor, “So pleased was MP Manorama Madhwaraj with the food that she even bought some of the delicacies”.
Other events included boat race and tug of war. Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes promised on the occasion that a meeting would be arranged between representatives of the fishermen community and Chief Minister Dharam Singh on January 17 to discuss pertinent issues.