Shivapura village in Maddur is among 75 places in the country which are commemorating the 75th anniversary of the freedom movement – Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav – on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the programme at Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat on Friday. The Mandya district administration is celebrating the occasion at “Satyagraha Soudha” in Shivapura, holding daylong events beginning at 6 a.m.
The programme will take off with a yoga performance by about 75 yoga enthusiasts from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. This is being done on behalf of Ayush Department. In addition, a mass cleanliness drive will be taken up across Maddur town at the same time.
This will be followed by “Sarva Dharma” prayer by the members of Department of Public Instruction from 7 a.m. to 7.15 a.m. The area around “Satyagraha Soudha” will come alive as attractive rangolis will be drawn using millets (siri dhanya). Also, a rangoli competition will be organised after the drawing of tricolor rangoli, from 7.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.
A cycle jatha has been organized from 7.15 a.m. to 8 a.m. on behalf of the Department of Sports and Youth Empowerment which will be followed by a half-marathon at Maddur taluk stadium from 8 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.
Other highlights of the occasion are march past at the stadium, procession of bullock carts on the streets of Maddur, procession of participants dressed like the people who were in the forefront of the freedom movement, police band and NCC and NSS cadets’ march past from 8.30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The Khadi Board has organised an expo of its products, books on freedom struggle, postal stamp’ display inside the Soudha besides a horticulture expo at 9.15 a.m. and the screening of a documentary on Dandi March.
Interestingly, the history behind the freedom movement at Shivapura will be narrated in the form an exhibition at the Soudha. This will be followed by cultural programmes marking the occasion at the main stage in front of the Soudha at 10 a.m.
From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Forest Department will be planting over 75 different species of plants in the town besides the planting of medicinal plants by the Ayush Department. Another attraction awaiting the participants is the laser show at 7 p.m. on the history of freedom movement of Shivapura.
Outside the Soudha, people from the Khadi Board will be carry out charka demonstration and students will be painting images of the freedom movement on the white cloth put up across the main streets of Maddur to mark the occasion.
