The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Bengalooru Habba gets under way

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Monday, Dec 04, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bengalooru Habba gets under way

Staff Reporter

Week-long dance, music and theatre events unfold in Bangalore Week-long dance, music and theatre events unfold in Bangalore

CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA: Artistes Nandini Alva, Vaijayanthimala Bali, R.K. Srikanthan, Enagi Balappa, Maya Rao, along with BMP Commissioner Jairaj and I.M. Vittal Murthy, Secretary, Kannada Culture, Information and Tourism Department, at the inaugurati on of `Bengalooru Habba', at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bangalore on Sunday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BANGALORE: In an unconventional beginning to the fourth edition of Bengalooru Habba on Sunday, the organisers paid homage to `Karaga', the city's enduring symbol of cultural and religious harmony.

Noted theatre artiste Enagi Balappa, Carnatic vocalist R.K. Srikanthan and Kathakali dancer Maya Rao accompanied by veteran actor Vaijayanthimala Bali threw flowers and put the traditional vermillion on three persons who carried the flower-bedecked `Karaga'. This marked the inauguration of the city's art festival.

A dance drama by noted artiste Jayashree to seek the blessings of Lord Vigneshwara and a Yakshagana by students of St. Philomena's High School invoking the blessings of Chamundeshwari Devi were part of the invocation.

Dance performances

The inaugural ceremony at Ravindra Kalakshetra saw the performances by danseuse Lakshmi Gopalswamy and Carnatic vocalist M.S. Sheila.

Apart from this, performances by Yamini Muthanna followed by Bharatnatyam by Meenakshi Srinivasan and Vani Ganapathy at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall enthralled Bangaloreans on the inaugural day.

A classical Hindustani music concert by Bahauddin Mohiddin Dagar at Ambedkar Bhavan and Hindustani vocal recital by Mowna Ramachandra at Gayana Samaj were also part of the inaugural festivities.

Artistes honoured

Keeping in mind the `Suvarna Karnatakakke Belli Habbada Samskruti Baagina', the organisers of Bengalooru Habba honoured three senior artistes, who inaugurated the habba.

Representing the State Government, which has associated with the Artistes' Foundation for the Arts (AFFA) this year to conduct Bengalooru Habba, I. M. Vittal Murthy, secretary of the Directorate of Kannada and Culture, hoped that there would be many more such activities to showcase the State's rich culture to the world. "The Government is happy to be associated with Bengalooru Habba this year. We are glad that a festival like this is able to channelise these traditional art forms and showcase them to the urban populace," he said.

Nandini Alva and Padmini Ravi, managing trustees of AFFA, said this year's habba focussed on the spirit of Suvarna Karnataka. Urging people to watch habba events, Ms. Padmini Ravi said entry to all events during the week-long festival is free.

"This is to ensure that all Bangaloreans can watch the performances. People can go to the various venues at St. George's Square for folk art and craft display, Palace Grounds for a food festival and attend cultural shows and street plays across the city," she said.

As a precursor to the festivities, Ravindra Kalakshetra witnessed an all-night Hindustani Mehfil on Saturday.

Noted artistes including Balekhan Sahodararu, Sangeetha Katti Kulkarni, Raajeev Taranath and Fayaz Khan participated in the mehfil, she added.

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