Moodbidri : The much awaited literary and cultural extravaganza ‘Alva’s Nudisiri” got off to a colourful start with a spectacular procession after Dr M Mohan Alva, Chairman of Alva’s Education and Cultural Foundation offered prayers to the statue of Natya Ganapathi installed at the entrance of Vidyagiri campus.

Jnanpeeth Award winning litterateur UR Ananthamurthi was also taken in the procession.

Inaugurating the three day festival, Ananthamurthy said  Kannada language, literature and culture can be retained only when there were concerted efforts in that direction. He also said language was a powerful tool of uniting people.Development is a dream which everyone wants to realize, he said adding what we want is not development but Sarvodaya, welfare of all. True development can be achieved, when  there is welfare of all, he added.

It’s not enough if our people become mere software engineers, what we need is hard working hands which can protect the tradition, culture and ethos of the land, Ananthamurthi further observed.

Senior Poet KS Nisar Ahmed who is chairing the conference, spoke on the occasion, and recollected the yeoman contribution made to Kannada language by writers of the past and the present. He also exhorted speakers at the conference to use simple language that is easily understandable by the common man.

Pundalika Halambi, President of State Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Abhayachandra Jain, MLA,Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, former minister Amarnath Shetty, Ganesh Karnik, MLC and others were present.

Centenarian scholar Prof. Venkatasubbaiah and Sammelan Chairperson veteran poet KS Nisar Ahmed were felicitated on the occasion.

The colourful procession which was taken out prior to the function, turned Moodbidri into a whole new world. There were nearly 19 troupes which presented programmes. There was the Kerala Chende team,   Pookavadi by Brahmavar  Shyam Kumar team,  Hulivesha of Mijar team among others.