The Independence Day celebrations turned vibrant and colourful in Kalaghatagi on Monday with a large number of people from the town and nearby villages carrying out a 9-km-long national flag in a procession to mark the occasion and scores of folk troupes joined them in the celebration.
Santosh Lad Foundation, headed by former Minister and former MLA of Kalaghatagi Santosh Lad, had organised the ‘Tiranga Maha Rally’ to mark 75 years of India’s independence and it received an overwhelming response.
The slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Vande Matan’, ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Hindustan Zindabad’ reverberated in the air as the bundle of the tricolour mounted on a vehicle was slowly unwound and people held it and carried it.
Through out the mammoth tricolour rally which began from Dastikoppa Bridge and concluded at Galaginagatti Cross, scores of folk artistes from across the region and adjoining States performed adding more colour to the rally.
Mr. Lad, who led the mega rally, said the event was aimed at creating awareness among the youths about the significance of the day and also about the sacrifice of lakhs of people before India got independence. It might be recalled that last year in Kalaghatagi, a two-km-long tricolour was taken out in procession.
It took nearly a month for 200 workers to stitch the flag in Benglauru and the cloth for it was procured from Mumbai. According to Mr. Lad, the preparation began three months ago. As part of the Independence Day celebration cultural events were organised by Lad Foundation in the evening.