Vijayawada Hosts Presidential SARAS Mela and Tamil Nadu CM's Temple Visit
Vijayawada marked a significant few days of high-profile visits as President Droupadi Murmu was due to inaugurate the SARAS Mela on October 15 during her two-day Andhra Pradesh stay. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay visited the city the previous day, calling at the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple and attending the Vijayawada Utsav 2.0 celebrations at Punnami Ghat alongside Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
🎉 President Murmu to Inaugurate SARAS Mela With 600 Stalls Showcasing Self-Help Group Products
President Droupadi Murmu was set to inaugurate the SARAS Mela in Vijayawada on October 15, 2026, coinciding with the second day of her two-day official visit to Andhra Pradesh. The visit, which covered October 14 and October 15, included the SARAS Mela inauguration as a central engagement in the state. The event was expected to feature more than 600 stalls, bringing together a large display of goods and crafts produced by women belonging to self-help groups from across India. These stalls were set to showcase products representing the work of self-help group members drawn from multiple states, with Vijayawada serving as the host city for this national-scale gathering. The concentration of over 600 stalls in one venue would make the event one of the larger exhibitions of self-help group output in the region. President Murmu's decision to inaugurate the SARAS Mela during her Andhra Pradesh visit gave the event a prominent national profile, connecting the work of women entrepreneurs and artisans from self-help groups around the country to the presidential visit. The two-day state visit, encompassing both October 14 and 15, underscored the significance of the presidential engagements in Andhra Pradesh. The SARAS Mela at Vijayawada represented an opportunity for women artisans and entrepreneurs from self-help groups to bring their products before a wider audience during the presidential inauguration. [8]
🗳️ TN CM Joseph Vijay Visits Kanaka Durga Temple, Attends Vijayawada Utsav 2.0 With AP CM Naidu
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay visited Vijayawada on October 13, 2026, where he was given a warm welcome. He called at the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, greeting the gathering assembled there during his visit. Photographs captured the chief minister at the temple, with the occasion drawing public attention to his presence in the city. During the Andhra Pradesh visit, Chief Minister Vijay held a formal meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, with the two leaders photographed together during their engagement. As a ceremonial gesture during the visit, AP CM Naidu presented TN CM Vijay with a peacock veena, a gift that marked the occasion of the inter-state visit. Chief Minister Vijay and Chief Minister Naidu also jointly attended the Vijayawada Utsav 2.0 celebrations, which were held at Punnami Ghat in the city. The two leaders appeared together at the Utsav event along the waterfront, participating side by side in the festivities at Punnami Ghat. The gathering at Punnami Ghat formed a central part of the Vijayawada Utsav event. The occasion marked a prominent moment of inter-state engagement between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, with both chief ministers appearing publicly together across multiple events during Vijay's Vijayawada visit. [9]
Sources: [8] Telangana Today · [9] DT Next