Godavari Dance Festival mesmerises people

Rajamahendravaram: Thousands of people witnessed the two-day Godavari Dance and Lantern Festival commenced at KotilingalaGhathere on Wednesday night.

Two floating stages were arranged in river Godavari supported by barges,motor boats and speed boats. Under the aegis of Tourism and Cultural affairs department and Wizz Craft (an event management company) organised the mega tourist festival.

Highlights:

• The dazzling laser show made an eye feast for the participants during harathi to the river
• Kuchipudi dance by noted dancer Madhurima and songs sung by well-known singer Simha impressed the audience

The programme started with Harathi to Godavari matha in which 51 priests participated and followed by city song 'Vedamla Ghoshinche Godavari'. The dazzling laser show made an eye feast to the participants during harathi to the river. Later, a mythological play Sri Krishna Rayabaram was staged followed by an act performed on the history of Amaravati by PadmasriDr Anand Shankar. Kuchipudidance by noted dancer Madhurima and songs sung by well-known singer Simha impressed the audience.

Finally, the mega performance of maestro of percussions Shivamanimesmarised the audience for 45 minutes. The first-day tourist festival concluded by bursting of fire crackers and releasing lanterns into the sky from island area, 200 metres away from the floating stage. Inaugurating the festival, MP Maganti Murali Mohan said that Chief Minister NChandrababu Naidu chose Rajamahendravaram and Visakhapatnam for the festival and he is keen to develop tourism sector in the State.

First, a mega event is being organized in the river with well-known artistes. In future many cultural programmes will be conducted in the ancient city, he added. Rajamahendravaram Rural MLA Gorantla BuchaiahChoudary presided the programme.

Mayor PanthamRajaniSesha Sai, MLCs AdireddyAppa Rao, Somu Virraju, Collector Karthikeya Misra, Joint Collector Mallikarjun, Sub-collector VVR Raju, Urban Superintendent of Police B Raja Kumari, Tourism Department Regional Joint Director R Bhima Shankaram and many others participated in the festival.