Belagavi glows celebrating centenary of historic Congress session

Belagavi: The Congress session presided over by the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, is now celebrating its centenary. Preparations are in full swing to mark this significant occasion as the countdown to memorable festivities begins. Main streets in Kundan-gari Belagavi are adorned with beautiful electric lights, creating a historic ambiance reminiscent of the Mysore Dasara celebrations.The lighting displays are captivating in key circles of the city, including the central bus station, Ashoka Circle, Sangolli Rayanna Circle, Chennamma Circle, Ambedkar Road, Shri Krishna Devaraya Circle, and extending all the way to the national high-way. Streets from Chennamma Circle to Lingraj College Road, Sambhaji Circle, Basaveshwara Circle, Congress Road, and Udyambagh Road are breathtakingly il-luminated as evening falls, drawing the attention of visitors.

The electric decorations feature representations of great leaders, divine figures, his-torical monuments, and temples, all beautifully illuminated. This artistic lighting at-tracts not just the locals but also families from various towns, villages, and taluks across the district. Visitors are seen taking selfies in front of large historical replicas and illuminated depictions of great personalities. Many are capturing the brilliance of the lights on their mobile phones, sharing it via video calls with their family and friends. As night falls, crowds gather at Rani Chennamma Circle, creating a festive atmosphere.

A total of 104 kilometres of lighting has been set up across the main and internal roads of Belagavi. The streets are adorned with a spectrum of colors, and 90 circles have been illuminated, creating stunning visual appeals. Approximately 70 electric replicas of great personalities have been installed, and the venue where the session took place, Veerasoudha, is also dazzlingly lit.

Around 200,000 LED bulbs, each consuming 9 watts, have been utilized for the light-ing decorations in Belagavi, marking a record achievement. The areas around Chen-namma Circle, Ashoka Circle, and Hanuman Nagar Circle feature colourful peacock and leaf designs, while creative lighting installations are present on prominent road separators. String lights, ziplines, and wave effects are integrated into the overall decoration.

Over ten electric replicas of Mahatma Gandhi, including depictions of Gandhi weav-ing, standing, and marching in his famous Salt March, add a majestic touch to the celebration. The entire city is infused with the spirit of Gandhi, with his images and the ‘Gandhi Bharat’ program logos prominently displayed.

Lighting installations include representations of notable figures such as Buddha, Mahavir, Basaveshwara, Maharshi Valmiki, Shivaji, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Ra-yanna, and Ambedkar. Historic monuments like the Hampi Stone Chariot, Sri Krishna Chariot, Red Fort, Mysore Palace, Parliament, and India Gate also shine brightly. Numerous deities including Chamundeshwari, Durgadevi, and Shri Krishna are cel-ebrated in the lighting decorations, with impressive structures reaching heights of 45 feet and widths of 100 feet.

As people admire the replicas of great leaders at their respective circles, installations conveying significant messages from Jaikisan at APMC, Jai Jawan at Shourya Cir-cle, and messages highlighting life sciences near SGBIT capture the attention of passersby. Lighting on the main highways and significant roads, along with welcome banners at Virupaksha Gopura, greet guests arriving in Belagavi for the centenary celebrations.

This grand lighting display is remarkable, surpassing those of famous festivals like Mysore Dasara, Male Mahadeshwara Jatra, the Mahamastakabhisheka of Shravanabelagola, Hampi Utsav, Car Festival in Karkala, and Ganesh Utsav in Ban-galore.

Mohankumar Sound and Light from Jayanagar, Bangalore has executed an exceptional lighting display in Belagavi.