Hampi (Vijayanagara): The Harvest Festival and Agricultural Exhibition, organised at Matanga Parvata Grounds as part of the Hampi festival, offered visitors a vivid glimpse into the lives and traditions of farmers across the country. The exhibition highlighted the scope for sustainable agricultural development through a blend of traditional wisdom and modern farming techniques.The harvest celebrations featured Sankranti rituals, grain puja, seed harvesting, manual grinding of grains, folk songs by rural women, and decorated bullock carts, reflecting the cultural richness of village life. The agricultural exhibition displayed indigenous and traditional farm produce, with a special focus on preserving native and uncultivated seeds amid the growing use of BT and foreign varieties. Artistic depictions of Ganesha, the KSDA logo, and Nandi crafted from millets attracted visitors.The ‘Krishi Brahmanda’, showcasing integrated farming systems involving drones, tractors, and animal husbandry, along with sericulture, millet-based dishes, and organic produce sales, drew significant attention. A major attraction was the bull exhibition organised by Bidar district administration and department of animal husbandry and veterinary services, behind Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority in Kamalapur.More than 170 pairs of bulls from Kamalapur, Hosapete, and various parts of the district participated. Indigenous breeds like Hallikar, Malnad Gidda, Ongole, Amritmahal, and Kilari, along with other foreign breeds, impressed the gathering.Prof Dr Kotresh of Bidar veterinary college, along with Basavaraj and other veterinary doctors from different districts, served as judges for the cattle competition. Retired assistant director Dr Basavaraj Benny conducted the programme by interacting with farmers.Deputy director Dr M Ravi of the department of animal husbandry and veterinary services, assistant director Dr Imran, Dr Yugandar Manvi, Dr Prashanth, Dr Ajay Kumar, Dr Suresh, Dr Raghavendra, Dr Mallikarjun, Dr Chandra Naik, Dr Shivakumar, Dr Lohit, Dr Satish, Dr Nemi Naik, joint director of agriculture BT Manjunath, deputy director Dr Naeem Pasha, assistant director Manojgouda, SP Patil, VC Umesh, and several farmers were present at the event.
