The city celebrated the 63rd Kannada Rajyotsava with great enthusiasm on Thursday. Pro-Kannada organisations, college students, youth organisations and the district administration celebrated the day with grand fervour.
The citizens, irrespective of age, caste, community, participated in the events, organised to mark Rajyotsava.
A host of artistes performed several folk forms on the occasion.
The district administration had organised a programme in front of Kote Anjaneya Swami temple near Mysuru Palace.
District in-charge and Higher Education Minister G T Devegowda offered puja to Bhuvaneshwari Devi to mark the inauguration of the event.
He paid floral tributes to the portrait of Bhuvaneshwari Devi and offered puja to Nandi Dwaja and also hoisted the national as well as Kannada flags.
In his address, Devegowda called upon youths to imbibe the knowledge of folk culture and Kannada literature.
The state government is committed towards the development of the language, the minister said.
He said, Kannada language has a history of more that 20 centuries.
“Despite the onslaught of other languages, Kannada survived and has not lost its sheen. Several writers and fighters have dedicated their lives during the movement of unification of Karnataka,” he said.
Devegowda said, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has said that Kannada language will be used in administrative work.
Kannada will be used in every government office, including the Vidhana Soudha, he said.
Police personnel performed the Police Band and Hasini Team members sung Naada Geethe. Devegowda received the guard of honour from the police.
The personnel of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), City Armed Forces, District Armed Reserve Police, City Traffic Police, Women Police and Mounted Police took out a parade.
A host of folk artistes took out a procession by holding the portrait of Bhuvaneshwari Devi. ‘Kannada Theru’, a chariot depicting Vijayanagara Rule, and a KSRTC bus, decorated with colourful flowers and Kannada flag, were the major attractions.
MLAs S A Ramdas, Tanveer Sait, City Police Commissioner Dr A S Rao, Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Sankar, Superintendent of Police Amit Singh, Deputy Commissioners of Police N Vishnuvardhana and Vikram Amathe were present.