The three-day Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana got off to a colourful start here on Friday. The president of 86th edition of the literary meet poet Dr Doddarange Gowda was taken out in Sarot procession from Purasiddeshwara temple.
The event commenced with the hoisting of national, Kannada and Sammelana flags by District Minister Shivaram Hebbar, Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Mahesh Joshi and others.
Folk artistes such as the Kerala-based Chandi thiyam, chilipili gombe, kamsale, keelu kudare, dollu kunitha and others from across the state added zing to the event.
The meet is being organised for the first time at ‘Yalakki Kampina Nadu’ (the land of cardamoms) Haveri that was carved out of Dharwad 25 years ago. Haveri also happens to be the home district of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. It was for the first time that district president of all the districts were taken out in the procession on the occasion.