The annual historic Kittur Utsav 2026 will be celebrated with grandeur across three days from October 23 to 25, announced Public Works Department (PWD) and Belagavi District In-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Tuesday.
Chairing a preparatory meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office hall, the Minister instructed district administration officials to expedite all arrangements. He stated that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will be invited to inaugurate the event, and eminent achievers across multiple fields will be honored in a manner akin to the Mysuru Dasara celebrations.
Key Highlights & Instructions:
- Cultural & Academic Programs: Seminars and media interactions highlighting the history of Kittur and its legendary contributors will be organized, with strong participation encouraged among school and college students.
- Local Artist Priority: A dedicated selection committee will curate talent to ensure local folk and traditional artists receive prominent stage time alongside state-level performers.
- Traditional Sports & Cattle Fair: The sports events will emphasize indigenous rural sports. The festival will also feature a dedicated cattle fair (Jaanuvaru Jaatre) alongside government exhibition stalls showcasing state welfare schemes.
- Veera Jyoti Yatra: The ceremonial Kittur Chennamma Vijaya Jyoti torch relay will be flagged off from Bengaluru and culminate in Kittur ahead of the festival.
Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan noted that plans are underway to host a Half Marathon from Suvarna Vidhana Soudha to Kittur as part of the celebrations. He added that the four entrance gates of Kittur Fort will be named after iconic historical personalities featuring dedicated slogans, supported by an aggressive social media campaign for wider publicity.
Assistant Commissioner Praveen Jain and Kittur Development Authority Commissioner Santosh Hangal delivered a visual presentation outlining the blueprint of the festival. Several dignitaries, including MLAs Babasaheb Patil and Asif (Raju) Sait, NWKRTC Chairman Sunil Hanumannavar, Police Commissioner Prakash Nikam, Superintendent of Police Ramarajan K., and Zilla Panchayat CEO Rahul Shinde, attended the meeting.
