The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Colourful start to Kempe Gowda Day celebrations in Bangalore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Colourful start to Kempe Gowda Day celebrations in Bangalore

Staff Reporter

Folk artists steal the show during `Kempegowda Jyothi' processions

BANGALORE: It is again time to remember Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore. The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), which celebrates "Kempe Gowda Day," launched the two-day celebrations here on Monday.

The statue of Kempe Gowda in front of the BMP head office was garlanded.

The "Kempegowda Jyothi," which was brought by teams of officials and corporators in processions from the four towers built by Kempegowda II, to mark the boundaries of his capital city, was received by Mayor Mumtaz Begum and Deputy Mayor M. Lakshminarayana at the BMP head office.

Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajsekharan and the Health Minister R. Ashok were present.

Artists dressed in traditional "Kempe Gowda attire" participated in processions that started from Kempe Gowda Park near Mekhri Circle (North), inside the Lalbagh Botanical gardens (South), on the Kempambudhi bank at Gavipura Guttahalli (West) and on a rock near Ulsoor Lake (East).

`Janapada jatre'

The processions culminated at the BMP head office around noon. Later, the artists presented a "janapada jatre" comprising over 50 forms of folk dance including "dollu kunitha," "veeragase," "kamsale," "bombeaata," "keelukudare" and "karadi majalu."

The dances added colour to the inaugural festivities.

Being celebrated at a cost of over Rs. 1 crore, the Kempe Gowda Day celebrations include presentation of awards to 450 employees of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike in recognition of their contribution to the organisation and 72 eminent personalities from the city.

Awards presented

While the Mayor presented the awards to the employees on Monday evening, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will present the Kempe Gowda awards to the 72 selected people here on Tuesday.

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