Artistes solicit auditorium a la Ravindra Bharathi

The city has been a cultural hub of the State for quite a long time. After becoming the designated capital of the residual Andhra Pradesh, the activities on the cultural front are on the rise in Vijayawada. However, the capital does not have a fully equipped auditorium with state-of-the-art facilities to organise major cultural events.

There are four big auditoria in the city at present and each one has its own deficiency.

Tummalapalli Kshetrayya Kalakshetram is an auditorium in the city with scenic surroundings. The auditorium’s air-conditioning has been defunct since the last five years.

Though the State government has allocated Rs 4 crore for the development of the auditorium, artistes of the city are of the view that suggestions from theatre exponents should be taken and the sum should be spent on developing the auditorium on the lines of Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad.

Several artistes said that the make-up rooms on the first floor of the auditorium need to be relocated nearer to the stage for the convenience of artistes to change their attire quickly while staging a play. There is also a need to construct two more guest houses on the premises to provide accommodation for artistes participating in the cultural events. Also, a canteen needs to be set up.

Velidandla Hanumantharaya Grandhalayam, one of the oldest auditoria in the city, is located in Gandhinagar. It does not have a parking place. Despite earlier renovation works that were carried out with the help of veteran film director Dasari Narayana Rao, the lighting and sound system of the auditorium is not up to the mark. The management committee of the auditorium must focus on rectifying the defects while giving another facelift to it as it is quite famous in the cultural circles.

Siddhartha Auditorium is another major venue for cultural events, which is run by the Siddhartha Academy of General and Technical Education. Siddhartha Kalapeetham organises a cultural event at the auditorium every month for the benefit of students and art lovers. As it is located in college premises, it has its own limitations. It should be made accessible to more and more cultural associations to organise events frequently.

GhantasalaVenkateswara Rao Government Music and Dance College is also a hub of cultural activities in the city. It being an open air auditorium, several complaints were made to the police by those residing in the vicinity that they were getting disturbed during the conduct of cultural programmes. The open air auditorium cannot host the cultural events in day time and during the rainy season which is a major obstacle.

Sivarama Krishna Kshetram and the Railway Institute are also popular venues for cultural programmes. But they are small in area. Large scale events cannot be organised at the two venues.

Hence, artistes of the city have urged the State government to construct a fully equipped auditorium with all the modern facilities at an ideal location to give a big boost to cultural activities in the capital.

By: HVRS Prasad