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Araku Valley preparing for three-day Chali festival

Vishakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh government has allocated ₹1 crore for the three-day 'Chali Festival' that will be celebrated in the Araku Valley of ASR district from January 31 to February 2. The Chali festival is taking place after a gap of five years.

In conversation with Deccan Chronicle, ASR district collector Dinesh Kumar said the festival will showcase tribal culture from eight states, including Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The collector underlined that they have invited Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan to be the chief guest. But no confirmation has come from them. However, tourism minister Kandula Durgesh and other cabinet members are expected to participate in the event.
Dinesh Kumar said the entire Araku town will be decorated. They are expecting 1.5 lakh visitors at the three-day festival, which will be plastic-free. Food courts will offer various cuisines. Helicopter rides will be available over the valley.
Day one will kick off with the Araku Marathon from Padmapuram Garden, which will also be the venue for a flower show. There will be a painting competition at the tribal museum and carnival parade. In the evening, there will be cultural performances featuring Bastar Band, Thonda dance, Gond tribal dance, Manipur dance and various other traditional performances.
The second day will focus on community engagements like cycling and tree plantation drives, Araku Bouquet programme, coffee-tasting competition, expert panel discussions, and performances by Araku Band, Demsa and Manipuri artists.
The final day will involve the Araku Trek, Rangoli competition and flash mob at Tribal Museum. The closing ceremony will feature shadow dance, fashion show, Egyptian Tanoura Act, mind-reading, folk and western dances. The festival will conclude with a grand laser show.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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