Mangaluru: A six-member delegation of senior journalists from Sri Lanka is visiting Dakshina Kannada district on December 27 and 28 as part of a media exchange and familiarisation programme aimed at strengthening professional and cultural ties between the two regions.

The delegation, led by Patam Pasthyayul, former Media Secretary to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance and President of the Asian Media Association, arrived in Mangaluru on Friday. During their visit, the journalists are scheduled to interact with local media professionals, political leaders and representatives of cooperative institutions, besides experiencing the region’s cultural heritage.

On December 27, the delegation will visit the Mangaluru Press Club, where they will meet journalists from coastal Karnataka and engage in discussions on media practices, challenges facing journalism in South Asia, and the evolving role of regional media. The delegation will later tour the Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union at Kulasekhar, a major cooperative institution in the district.

The Sri Lankan journalists will also visit Pilikula Nisargadhama and witness key cultural attractions, including the Karavali Utsava, the traditional Mangaluru Kambala (buffalo race), and Yakshagana performances, offering them insights into the region’s folk traditions and rural life.

On December 28, the delegation will call on Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader. The itinerary also includes interactions with members of self-help groups and a visit to a jaggery (gondambi) manufacturing unit, highlighting grassroots economic activities and women-led initiatives. The delegation will further tour prominent tourist destinations in and around Mangaluru.

The visit is being facilitated by the Karnataka Working Journalists’ Association. Announcing the programme, association director Srinivas Naik Indaje said the initiative aims to promote cross-border media dialogue and provide Sri Lankan journalists with a first-hand understanding of Karnataka’s cooperative, cultural and governance models.