Bengaluru, (DHNS): The City of Palaces is all set for the 83rd Akhila Bharatha Kannada Sahitya Sammelana after a gap of 26 years. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the three-day, state-sponsored literary festival at the Maharaja's College Grounds at 11 am on Friday.

Writer Chandrashekar Patil, popularly known as 'Champa', will preside over the event while PWD and Mysuru district in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa will deliver the welcome speech. Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP) president Manu Baligar will deliver the keynote address. Baragur Ramachandrappa, the president of the 82nd Sahitya Sammelana, will address the gathering.

Prior to that, Champa will be taken out in a procession from the Kote Anjaneya Swami temple to the venue. Thousands of schoolchildren and women, besides a host of dignitaries, will be part of the procession.

Zilla Panchayat president Nayeema Sultana will flag off the procession in front of the temple at 9 am. Police Commissioner Dr A S Rao, Deputy Commissioner D Randeep, ZP chief executive officer P Shivashankara, Mysuru City Corporation Commissioner G Jagadeesha and Superintendent of Police Ravi D Channannavar will be the chief guests for the procession.

Minister for Kannada and Culture Umashree will inaugurate the cultural events. The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Jagadish Shettar, will release a souvenir.

During the inaugural ceremony, Chamarajanagar MP R Dhruvanarayan will inaugurate the commercial stalls and Mayor M J Ravikumar the 'mantap'. Mandya MP C S Puttaraju will inaugurate the main entrance of the venue.

Kannada and Culture director N R Vishukumar will attend the event.