Belagavi turns red and yellow for Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations

Belagavi: The border city of Belagavi witnessed a grand display of Kannada pride as thousands of people gathered at Rani Chennamma Circle to welcome the 71st Kannada Rajyotsava at midnight on November 1.

Unlike other parts of Karnataka, where celebrations generally begin in the morning, Belagavi traditionally marks the occasion at midnight. This year, too, the celebrations began several hours before midnight, with Kannada enthusiasts assembling at the city’s prominent junction from around 8 pm.

The atmosphere turned festive with colourful lights, Kannada songs and red-and-yellow flags. As midnight approached, thousands of people, including youngsters, women, children and senior citizens, filled the circle.

The moment the clock struck 12, spectacular fireworks lit up the night sky. The sound of crackers, cheers and applause created a festive atmosphere. Drone footage captured the colourful celebrations and the massive gathering.

People raised slogans celebrating Karnataka, Rani Chennamma and Sangolli Rayanna. The emotionally charged slogans included ‘Yarappanda enaiti, Belagavi nammadaiti’ and ‘Prana kottevu, Belagavi biduvudilla’, reflecting the strong regional sentiment over the border city.

A special feature of this year’s celebration was the participation of Belagavi Mayor Preeti Kamakar and Deputy Mayor Hanumanth Kongali. They joined the midnight programme, cut a cake and danced to Kannada songs, marking their participation in the festivities.

DCP Narayan Baramani, Municipal Commissioner Karthik M and several Kannada organisation representatives also participated.

The crowd danced enthusiastically to popular numbers, including Dr Rajkumar’s iconic song ‘Huttidare Kannada Nadalli Huttabeku’ and songs of late actor Puneeth Rajkumar. The ‘Namma Belagavi’ song drew particularly loud cheers.

Youngsters continued dancing and waving flags until around 1 am. The celebrations once again highlighted Belagavi’s deep-rooted Kannada identity and the significance of Rajyotsava in the border district.

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