Uncertainty shrouds Kakatiya Festival

Warangal: Uncertainty seems to be shrouding Kakatiya Festival, which the public in the district as well as in the State are awaiting eagerly to witness since the formation of separate Telangana.

The schedule for conducting the event has been fixed nearly four times and every time it got postponed during the past two and half years.

In October, 2016 in a meeting chaired by Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) Chairman P Ramulu and the State government advisor KV Ramana Chary, it was decided to organise the fest in a ‘grand manner’ in January, 2017 and it is not materialised.

There seems to be no signs of witnessing the event in near future either.
It may be noted that with a view to spread and celebrate Kakatiya dynasty’s glorious cultural and historic legacy, the idea of organising Kakatiya Festival was mooted long back.

After much delay, the festival was launched on December 21, 2012 by the then Congress CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Kakatiya Festival-2012-13 also marked 800th year of historic Ramappa Temple construction and 750th year of coronation of Rani Rudrama Devi of the Kakatiya regime.

The yearlong celebrations held in Warangal and at other important places, which form part of Kakatiya Empire and got concluded in December 2013.

Though the festival was conducted in united AP, why Telangana government is failing to do is the question that is troubling the public here.

The answer to the question by honchos in the ruling party is that the State government is planning to conduct the event on the lines of Konark Festival and other similar events.

“Exercise at top level is going on in that connection. There may be delay but sooner or later Kakatiya Festival will be conducted,” said GWMC Mayor N Narender and TRS district president T Ravinder Rao.

But, the ongoing developments suggests otherwise. The government has come with a newer and minor version of Kakatiya Festival which is replaced with a tag ‘Orugallu Kala Vaibhavam’.

It is proposed to limit the celebrations within Warangal Urban district instead of entire state as it was done in the past.

At a meeting held on January 26, the TSTDC Chairman Ramulu suggested to conduct the event in coming March, the district tourism officer M Shivaji told The Hans India. The event may take place on March 10, 11 and 12.

“The government must make efforts to conduct Kakatiya Festival across the State with immediate effect. It is sad that despite announcement of schedule for several times it failed to conduct the event,” said BJP Urban district president Rao Padma.

‘We won’t accept the minor version of the event or replacing Kakatiya Festival with Orugallu Kala Vaibhavam.

Organising the event only in urban district means demeaning Kakatiya legacy,’ commented city Congress president Rajanala Srihari.