Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said that Vijayawada city is a witness to a special history. He expressed hope that Guntur, which is flourishing as a mine of education, art and employment opportunities, and Amaravati, which is merged with Vijayawada, are gaining new splendor.
He suggested that the Vijayawada Utsav, which is being organized with the slogan of One City – One Celebration, should be organized as a feast for the eyes of Telugu glory in Vijayawada. He inaugurated Vijayawada Utsav, along with Minister Nara Lokesh.
The Vijayawada Utsav program began with a bang at the Punnami Ghat on the banks of the Krishna River. Drone shows and live band sounds were heard, while stories and plays were performed at the Tummalapalle Kalakshetra and Music College.
Venkaiah Naidu praised such festivals as a great platform to convey the glory of Vijayawada to the people and pass on the historical and artistic glory of this place to future generations. He described it as an opportunity to showcase poetry, prose, and world-renowned works.
Venkaiah Naidu recalled that prominent figures like the first Speaker Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao, TV Chalapathi Rao, and Vishwanatha Satyanarayana were from here, and NTR also studied here. He expressed happiness over the government orders in Telugu.
Minister Nara Lokesh said that those who have been talking about Mysore festivals for years should now remember only the Vijayawada Dussehra festivals. He stated that the festival on the holy land where Durgamma is on the hill and Krishnamma is under the hill should not remain a one-time wonder.
He hoped that it would develop day by day like the Winter Wonderland organized in London. He said that 600 stalls related to agriculture, commerce, education, automobile, and handloom sectors are being displayed, and the minister expressed his opinion that the festival is a cultural celebration in the context of the rapid construction of Amaravati.
Senior TDP leader Varla Ramaiah criticized the previous government for neglecting Telugu culture for five years. Drama Academy Chairman Gummadi Gopalakrishna commented that it is a program being done with good intentions to protect Telugu culture. More than 250 programs:
With more than 250 programs to be organized over a total of 11 days, the Vijayawada Utsav received an unprecedented response on the opening day. The audience was particularly impressed by the cultural, mythological, dance and art forms performed on five stages.
The dazzling firework show at the Punnami Ghat cast a spell on the eyes. The drone show performed in the sky with the shapes of Durgamma, Pingali Venkaiah, NTR and Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was particularly impressive.
