Karnataka - Bangalore   

`Folk art is in safe hands'

Staff Reporter

Ranga and the others will not let the tradition die...

ENERGETIC: `Dollu Kunita' on stage at Janapada Jaatre in Bangalore on Sunday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Bangalore: The resounding beats of the "Dollu" and rhythmical tinkling of the "gejje." The Jaanapada Jaathre, a major folk festival organised by the Government to encourage artistes and revive folk art forms of the region, has been on for the last six months.

And to see youngsters, such as 12-year-old Ranga, who plays the "Nagaari" (drum) with amazing ease and energy, or the nine-member all-girl "Veeragaase" troupe, to take folk art performance with commitment and passion can be heart-warming.

"Veeragaase" is a folk art form performed mostly by the Veerashaivas during important rituals and religious occasions. Predominantly a male domain because of the intense energy involved while dancing, "Veeragaase" was performed by the all-girl team from Moodabidri in Dakshina Kannada on Sunday with equal ease and intensity.

"We are the first all-girl troupe from Dakshina Kannada to perform the `Veeragaase'," says Bhavya, a member of the troupe.

All of them are students studying various disciplines, including Ayurveda, physiotherapy and nursing, but they seem to share a common passion for the folk art form, which was taught to them by their "guru" Leeladhar Karkera. "We want to carry on performing even after we finish college," say the girls in unison. Ranga from Mysore who is studying in the fifth standard voices similar feelings: "I want to continue playing the `Nagaari' even after I grow up." His father, who also plays the instrument and from whom Ranga has learnt the art, is a cobbler.

"Most of us work as daily wage workers or in factories but in our spare time we practice this art because it has been a tradition in our family for generations. We believe that youngsters, including Ranga, will take the folk art ahead so that it does not die," said C. Manjunath, leader of the troupe.

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