Kudla Samskrutika Prathishtana to hold ‘Mangaluru Street Food Festival’ from January 15 to 19

The Kudla Samskrutika Prathistana will hold the ‘Mangaluru Street Food Festival’, on the footpaths of Mahatma Gandhi Road from Lalbagh Circle to Narayana Guru Circle, on Kulur Ferry Road from Narayana Guru Circle to Canara Urwa Circle and on Mannagudda Road from Canara Urwa Circle to M.G. Road, from January 15 to January 19, 2025.

Announcing the dates at a function held at the auditorium of Chetana Child Development Centre in Mangaluru on Wednesday, Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath, who is promoting the event, said 250 stalls will come up on footpaths.

Based on suggestions by visitors who have attended the earlier two street festivals, Mr. Kamath said this year there will be separate vegetarian and non-vegetarian food stalls. These stalls will showcase the unique coastal cuisine. There will be separate children’s, selfie, and entertainment corners. Adequate arrangement will be made for parking of vehicles at Karavali Utsav ground and also at the grounds of Canara Urwa and other schools in the vicinity.

Inconvenience to motorists

When asked about the inconvenience to motorists because of the blocking of roads during the festival, as both M.G. Road and Kulur Ferry Road are the main thoroughfares of the city, Mr. Kamath said with such a mega event people are bound to face some inconveniences.

The organisers pay a day’s salary to 100 policemen for each of the five days and it is the prerogative of the city police to ensure peaceful conduct of the festival. The traffic should be diverted to alternative roads, he said.

Actual cost as rent

Mr. Kamath said this year stalls will be allotted by collecting land rent, which will include the cost of setting up the stall and the charges paid by the organisers to Mangaluru City Corporation, Mangaluru City Police, Public Works Department, and Mescom. In the light of heavy costs that the organisers had to bear last year, they have shelved the last year’s allotment on ‘profit-sharing’ basis.

Mr. Kamath said the event is not being held by the prathistana to earn money but to showcase the coastal cuisine. “We only collect charges for running the event for five days,” Mr. Kamath stated.

Former MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, president of prathistana Diwakar Pandeshwar, and prathistana’s honorary president Giridhar Shetty were present.

Published - November 07, 2024 07:00 am IST