Ellora-Ajanta festival likely to be shelved!

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

This year's Ellora-Ajanta International Festival is at a standstill due to financial issues. The festival was initially planned for the first or second week of March, but currently, there have been no movements regarding its conduct, leading to doubts about whether the festival will take place. The administration is facing a tight financial situation, with a need to gather between Rs six to eight crore, which includes last year's pending dues and this year's expenses, making it a challenging task.

Until now, the festival has been organised in January or February, but this year, it has been delayed. Two to three meetings have been held, with discussions focused on raising funds. However, there is growing uncertainty about whether the festival will take place this year due to mismatches between the previous dues and the anticipated costs. The expected expenditure for this year's festival is around Rs. 6.5 crore. The Municipal Corporation and the Tourism Department are expected to contribute some funds, while efforts are being made by District Collector Deelip Swami to attract funds from the government and secure CSR funds from companies. As the first week of March comes to a close, no concrete decision has been made regarding the festival's organisation yet. This festival is considered important for tourism growth.

Dues of Rs 1.75 crore...

A total of Rs. 1.75 crore from last year remains unpaid, which includes expenses for electrical lighting, decorations, and other bills.

Starting of the Festival in 1985

To promote tourism in the district, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) began organising the festival in 1985, in front of the Kailasa Caves at Ellora. Since 2002, the festival has been transformed into the Ellora-Ajanta International Festival. It was being held at the Sunehri Mahal at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. Over the past 24 years, the festival has been disrupted 14 times.

Festival at Ellora Caves

The festival, which was to be held at the Sunehri Mahal, has been postponed due to a court order. Meanwhile, a decision was made that this year's festival will be held for two days at the foot of the Ellora Caves and one day in the city.