DELHI, 10 December 2023: India’s Ministry of Tourism is hosting a three-day musical festival, ‘Krishnaveni Sangeetha Neerajanam’ in Vijayawada City on the banks of River Krishna from 10 to 12 December.
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located on the banks of the Krishna River. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Kanaka Durga Temple (Wikipedia).
The musical festival is co-organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in association with the Ministry of Culture, Sangeet Natak Akademi and State Government of Andhra Pradesh, according to the Press Information Bureau of India report.
The Ministry of Tourism strives to innovate and diversify niche tourism content through festivals, which has resulted in significant efforts to promote tangible and intangible heritage and lesser-known tourist attractions. The Krishnaveni Sangeeta Neeranjam musical festival aims to celebrate the rich heritage of classical music and help revive the focus on Harikatha and Namasankeerthana traditions.
Besides showcasing classical musical traditions, the festival promotes regional cuisine, handicrafts, community spiritual heritage, and eco-tourism.
During the two-day festival, handicraft artisans showcase Kalamkari painting, Kondapalli wooden toys, Banjara embroidery, and handloom weavers display how they create the intricate designs and fabrics of the famed Mangalagiri, Uppada and Pochampally sarees.
Over 21 renowned artists perform recitals alongside music college students from Andhra Pradesh and surrounding states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka across four venues. The concerts are at three venues (Vijayawada at Durga Gha, Banks of River Krishna, Tummalapalli Kalakshetram and Kanak Durga Temple). Plus, the Handicraft and Handloom exhibition and the food festival are hosted at Punnami Ghat, Berhm Park, Vijayawada.
Airlines flying to Vijayawada
Currently, four airlines are flying to Vijayawada. Most flights to Vijayawada are operated by IndiGo followed by Alliance Air (Flight Connections).
A comprehensive website details the region’s musical traditions, crafts, cuisine and tourism attractions and the eminent artists and composers participating in the event. For more information visit https://krishnavenimusicfest.com.
Additionally, the region’s temples, forts, and monuments will also be highlighted during the festival, focusing on the lesser-known destinations of Veerabhadra Swamy Temple at Lepakshi, Gandikota Fort, the ruins of Amravati Stupa and the four-storey Rock cut Hindu temple at Undavalli.
Recently, ‘Garba of Gujarat’ has been inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity by UNESCO under the provisions of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Earlier, Shantiniketan in West Bengal and Hoysala Temples in Karnataka were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
(Source: Ministry Tourism India – PIB)
