Mangaluru (The Hindu): The four-day cultural and literary festival is slated to start on Thursday. The stage is set for the four-day literary and cultural extravaganza at Moodabidri near here with the Alva’s Education Foundation gearing up for the Alva’s Nudisiri, the annual festival featuring the rich heritage of Kannada.

The Nudisiri 2015 is packed with a host of programmes right from its inaugural on the evening of November 26 till its valedictory on November 29. Alva’s Foundation Chairman M. Mohan Alva told presspersons here on Monday that a massive stage, measuring 150 ft by 40 ft, has specially been erected for the inaugural ceremony at Vanajakshi K. Shripathi Bhat Podium.

As many as 500 dignitaries would be seated on the stage during the inaugural even as the auditorium can accommodate as many as 35,000 spectators. The Nudisiri has been added one more day for the special inauguration this year, he said. The programmes on the remaining three days would be held at the Ratnakaravarni Vedike at the Vidyagiri between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

While noted litterateur T.V. Venkatachala Shastri would be the Sarvadhyaksha of the Nudisiri, the festival, based on the theme ‘Karnataka: Hosatanada Hudukata’ would be inaugurated by writer Veena Shantheshwara. There would be five main sessions on Kannada literature, media, education, water usage and water sharing during the Nudisiri. Special lectures on eight broad themes would also be delivered on social justice, rural development, women movement, harmony, folklore, environment consciousness, agriculture and performance art.

The festival would also feature remembering poets, singing of poems by renowned singers, remembering eminent writers including M.M. Kalaburgi by journalist Padmaraja Dandavathi, Mr. Alva said. A host of cultural programmes would enthral the visitors during the festival.

* On official duty (OOD) facility for all four days for teachers from primary schools to degree colleges in the state

* Free boarding and lodging facility for students

* Rs. 100 delegate fee for non-student delegates with boarding and lodging

*The 150 ft x 40 ft stage for inauguration to seat 500 dignitaries

*Special invitation to 700 people who have made names in different fields

Special Attractions

*Cultural parade comprising cultural tropes from State

*Gee Gee pada, Sobane hadu, Lavani, Burra Katha etc

* Magic show by selected 15 teams of street magicians

* Weigh lifting show by team from Athani

* Musical evening by Raghu Dixit and team from 9 pm on November 27

Nudisiri Awards

Bannanje Govindacharya – Literature

Sumatindra Nadiga – Literature

S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu – Cinema

R.K. Padmanabha – Classical music

B.N. Sumithra Bai – Literature

Ishwar Daithota – Media

Leelavathi Baipadithaya – Yakshagana bhagavatike

Varthur Narayana Reddy – Agriculture

Shilpi Honnappachar – Sculpture

Syed Salauddin Pasha – Cultural service

Photo credit: The Hindu