Mangalore: Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) laid out a 3-day dasara cultural festival for passengers using MIA starting with raag rang sugam sangeeth on Tuesday, following it up with sursagar fusion band flute concert on Wednesday and rounding it up with vibrant tiger dance and bharathanatyam on September 28.

Dasara is first such cultural stop for passengers and stakeholders and MIA will celebrate with more such regional, national festival to give all concerned a flavor of the region and nation, noted V V Rao, airport director, MIA.The festival entails a plethora of activities, which invigorates the cultural sense of visiting guests and transiting passengers. The entire airport has been decked up in lights and festive decorations setting up a visual treat for all, Rao told reporters
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The cultural activities not just featured artists of repute, but also in-house airport talent featuring staff for airlines and other stakeholder agencies, he said. Since airports are a touch point for travelers to interact with the region, and there is not much to showcase to the world, hosting such national festivals at the airport is the perfect way to introduce the cultural diversity to the guests, he said adding this will give visitors a treasure trove of memories to carry home.Keeping in mind the need to enhance visual cultural experience, airport will fill up all vantage spots inside the terminal building with local art and murals.

“We have received responses from 7 curators on how to go about this project and the name of one curator will be finalized soon,” he said adding the work will start at the earliest. Motifs of yakshagana, kambala and other local art forms will adorn these spots on lines with similar venture at leading international airports, he said.