Mangaluru : Dr. Shivarama Karanth Pilikula Nisarga Dhama will henceforth organise a festival every month to attract visitors, according to A.B. Ibrahim, Deputy Commissioner, who is also the chairman of the society managing the nisarga dhama.

Speaking to presspersons after inaugurating a rain festival at Pilikula on Sunday, he said the aim was to introduce to the people the efforts towards conservation of various plants found in the Western Ghats at the Pilikula Biological Park, the water sports and boating facilities, the regional science centre, artisans’ village, ‘guttina mane’, and other facilities. Many people either were not aware of the facilities or were not showing interest to visit the nisarga dhama. The festivals would be an attempt to attract them, he said.

Mr. Ibrahim said that “aati” (month of Aashada) would be celebrated at Pilikula next month. The calendar of festivals for other months would be announced later. Exhibition of colourful umbrellas attracted visitors at the festival. Some umbrellas had warli paintings and madhubani art while some had slogans related to the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan written on them. A message read that if one does not bother to keep public places clean, what kind of an educated person he or she was.

There was a two-in-one umbrella that attracted all. Children and adults holding and exhibiting colourful umbrellas took a walk covering Urban Haat buildings.

There was a food festival in which dishes were cooked on the spot and served. It included dishes made of jackfruit such as mulka, kottige and dosa.

An exhibition of photographs on rain and nature did not mention the spots where the photographs had been taken. It only mentioned the names of photographers.

Arrangements had been made to plant saplings found in the Western Ghats. Individuals would have to pay Rs. 1,000 per each sapling if their name board was to be attached to them.

There was singing of “paddanas” (Tulu sung narratives) and other songs.

Pineapple, mangoes, leaf vegetables, consumer goods, and jackfruit papad were on sale. Folk artefacts and old wooden household articles attracted visitors at the entrance. Dishes made of fish was also available.

Though it was supposed to be a rain festival, there was no rain throughout the day. The city had experienced good rain on Saturday night and early morning on Sunday.