The 82nd edition of the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, the three-day literary festival kicked-off with pomp with renowned writers, musicians and artists participating in the inaugural procession held at Raichur on Friday.

What went unnoticed was that a senior Kanihalage player, who has won the Kannada Sahitya Academy Award and the Rajyotsava award, Lanchappa Bajantri, had a heart attack in the middle of the procession on Friday, Suvarna News reported.

He was taken to the hospital by police personnel, who were standing close to him and taken to a private hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment.

After the news broke out this morning, Congress MLA Boseraju and MP B V Nayak visited Bajantri at the hospital.

In another incident related to the Sammelana, the Kasapa Karyakaari Samiti members staged a protest in Chikkaballapura on Saturday when news of Mysuru being the next venue for the Sahitya Sammelana broke out. The protests, however, did not gather much support and died down, Suvarna News reported.

Kannada Sahitya Sammelana is a state-sponsored literary festival, where cultural teams display folk art from different parts of the state.

The Minister for Primary and Secondary Education and Raichur in-charge Tanveer Sait, Kannada Sahitya Parishat district President Basavapur Patil, were among others who hoisted the Karnataka flag at the University of Agricultural Sciences at Raichur on Friday.

The colourful procession had around 25 cultural sequences which displayed rural folk art and a 3,500-ft long Karnataka state flag was carried in front of the procession.

Raichur residents poured flowers on the procession from their rooftops, while shouting slogans praising the Kannada language.