Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Jan 21: It sounds like Mangaluru has experienced a vibrant and culturally rich month with a variety of events that truly energized the local community. Cultural extravaganzas are fantastic for bringing people together, showcasing local talent, and celebrating traditions. If the programs were well-organized, it would have created an immersive experience for everyone involved.
Perhaps Mangaluru could benefit from continuing this kind of engagement with more events like music and dance festivals, art exhibitions, or culinary showcases, which reflect the city’s diversity and rich cultural heritage. The positive impact of such programmes on community spirit, tourism, and local pride cannot be overstated.
The month-long Karavali Utsava 2024, State Games, Kambala and street food festival successfully attracted large crowds throughout its duration. The event earned significant praise for its excellent management and the variety of activities offered over the past month.
Exciting Events and Attractions: The festival featured a wide range of events, including a film festival, dog show, car and bike show, robotic butterfly exhibit, kite festival, and beach festival. Many of these events were held for the first time at this year's Karavali Utsava, which drew a massive audience.
Underwater Tunnel & Forest-Themed Park: One of the highlights of Karavali Utsava 2024 was the introduction of an underwater fish tunnel and a forest-themed park at the Karavali Utsava ground. In addition to these, the ground hosted several cultural performances, dance events, food stalls, and more, further enriching the festival experience.
Robotic Butterfly Exhibition: The robotic butterfly exhibition, which opened on December 22, ran until January 19 at Kadri Park. Open daily from 4 PM to 9 PM, this unique exhibition showcased robotic butterflies, ants, and dragonflies, providing a fascinating educational experience for children to learn about various species.
State-Level Dog Show: Held at Kadri Park on January 5, the state-level dog show featured popular breeds such as Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Beagle, Rottweiler, Shih Tzu, Pomeranian, Akita, Boxer, and Siberian Husky. Rare breeds like Chow Chow, Miniature Pinscher, Mini Pom, Poodle, Belgian Malinois, and Akita were also showcased. Over 150 dog owners participated in this exciting event.
Film Festival: For cinephiles, a newly introduced film festival took place at Big Cinemas on January 2 and 3. The festival showcased nine films and one short film in Kannada, Konkani, and Tulu languages over the course of two days, attracting a diverse audience of movie lovers.
Yuva Mana: The two-day 'Yuva Mana' event was organized at Deer Park on January 4 and 5 to encourage young local talent. More than 10-12 teams participated, with performances that included stand-up comedy from RJ Arpith, dance performances by SoulBeatz, live music by Oline & Co and Shor the Band, Tulu rap by AMH 19, and more. The crowd was especially thrilled when the Deputy Commissioner performed two tracks, accompanied by Shor the Band, marking a major highlight of the event.
Car and Bike Show: On January 4, the car and bike show at Kadri Park road was a major crowd-puller. Visitors were treated to a stunning display of high-performance vehicles, including luxury cars like Bentley, Porsche, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Ferrari, and the Defender. The show also featured sports bikes such as Harley Davidson, Honda, Ducati, R15, Triumph, BMW, Yamaha, MV Agusta, Java, and Yezdi.
Kala Parba: Crowds flock to Kala Parba to witness a diverse display of artistic talent at Kadri Park on January 11 and 12. The Kala Parba art festival is a vibrant celebration that brings together artists from diverse disciplines to showcase their talents in one immersive event. This dynamic gathering united visual artistes, musicians, dancers, performers, and creators from all corners of the creative world, offering audiences a unique opportunity to experience a wide variety of art forms in one place. From stunning visual exhibits to captivating performances, the festival serves as a platform for artists to express their creativity, exchange ideas, and engage with an enthusiastic community, making it a must-attend event for art lovers and cultural explorers alike.
Kambala and Naringala Kambala
The 8th edition of the Mangaluru Kambala was organized by Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta at Gold Finch City on December 28. The event, which celebrated the traditional coastal sport of buffalo racing, attracted a large number of spectators and participants. It was an exciting day filled with the rhythmic thundering of buffalo hooves as the competitors raced across the muddy tracks.
On January 13, the 3rd edition of the Naringala Kambala was held, with chief minister Siddaramaiah gracing the event as the chief guest. The event was another spectacular display of Kambala's rich cultural significance, drawing immense attention from the local community as well as visitors.
Both events showcased the vibrant heritage of Karnataka and were a testament to the spirit and enthusiasm of the people who continue to support and celebrate this centuries-old tradition.
Kite Festival and Beach Festival: The Kite Festival and Beach Festival also formed integral parts of the celebration, adding to the fun and excitement of the festival.
The beach festival was held on January 11 and 12, with Guru Kiran live concert, sand art and concluded with Raghu Dixit concert at Tannirbhavi. The Kite festival was held on January 18th and 19th at Tannirbhavi. Kite festival featured 22 international kite flyers from 10 countries, including the UK, Greece, Germany, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Estonia, Italy, Sweden, Portugal, and Indonesia, alongside 30 Indian flyers from Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala. The event was spotlight an array of kites, from traditional and aerofoil to inflatable designs, with a special focus on quad-line sports kites, featuring dynamic performances by stunt kite flyers from Greece.
State Games 2025
The State Games 2025 were inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on January 17 at Mangala Stadium. Over 4,500 athletes are participating in the week-long event, which includes 25 different events taking place in Mangaluru and Udupi. The games will run from January 17 to January 23. A colourful procession, along with a light and fireworks show, marked the grand opening.
Street Food Festival
The Kudla Samskrutika Prathistana is organizing the ‘Mangaluru Street Food Fiesta’ on the road between Lalbagh Circle, Narayana Guru Circle, and Canara Urwa Circle, from January 18 to 22. The festival, which attracted food lovers from across the city, featured over 150 food stalls offering a variety of cuisines from across the country. The event was inaugurated by Dolly Chaiwala, who was one of the highlights of the festival.