Visakhapatnam: The three-day Visakha Utsav (mega tourism and cultural festival on east coast of India) kicked off to a colorful start at RK Beach in Vizag city on Friday evening. This year the utsav was held only on the 2 km stretch of RK Beach as the organisers did not chose other venues. The Visakha Utsav started with the inauguration of Digidhan expo to popularise online transaction and later flower show at MGM Park, both the events drawing huge crowds.

The evening session of the utsav began with a carnival from The Park Hotel to the main venue at RK Beach, which was flagged off by Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu. School and college students and folk artists from various parts of the state participated in the colorful carnival being held for the first time in Visakha Utsav. Renowned sand sculpture Sudarsan Patnaik’s sculpture with the theme Swachh Bharat-Swachh Visakha on RK Beach will attract more visitors during the Visakha Utsav.


The organisers have planned a series of musical events with music directors Baba Sehgal and Shibani Kashyam to enthrall the visitors. The food courts at the Utsav venue were the other attraction as the visitors have tasted a wide variety of dishes at affordable prices. Inaugurating the Utsav, Mr Venkaiah Naidu said that he is alumni of Andhra University and he knew the various facets Vizag and how it made rapid development while retaining the rich culture and tradition. Mr Naidu, in his speech, dedicated much time on how Narendra Modi’s government has been extending help to the state in every sphere to make it the best place to live.

However, the Visakha Utsav has doubled the vertical spilt between minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao and minster Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu as Mr Patrudu and two city MLAs Velagapudi Rama-krishna Babu and Vasupalle Ganesh Kumar boycotted the inaugural session of the Utsav. They were neither present at the opening of Digidhan exhibition nor at the flower show and carnival.