BENGALURU: For the past 13 years, on every second Sunday of November, the Cubbon Park Walkers Association has been hosting a joint celebration of Karnataka Rajyotsava and Children’s Day through a series of competitions. An estimated crowd of 1,500 people attended and participated in the Sunday celebration featuring competitions in rangoli making, drawing, and fancy dress.
Recalling the turnout of more than 700 attendees from last year’s festival, Umesh Kumar, an advocate, environmentalist, and president of the Cubbon Park Walkers Association, said, “I never expected this much of a crowd to participate this time. 250 people registered for rangoli, and now 360 people have participated. 80 people had registered for drawing but 120 people have participated. For fancy dress, 180 people have participated.”
Watching people from all walks of life in the city, including people of foreign descent, create elaborate rangolis signifying various cultural practices like writings in Kannada, Yakshagana drawings, and maps of the state was an overwhelming moment for Kumar. With the depleting amount of manual rangoli making since the advent of rangoli stickers and stencils, this event provided Bengalureans with an avenue to explore the art form.
Despite it being a busy Deepavali weekend, attendees claimed their joy in spending the festival in the vicinity of Cubbon Park as people below 17 years drew nature-themed drawings, while adults made rangolis using flowers and seeds, colors and chukki rangoli. Silver coins were awarded to the top 3 winners for rangoli making. Special mementos were awarded to the winners of drawing and fancy dress competitions, as well as people who sang Kannada classics as part of the cultural programs.
Meanwhile, the fancy dress competition featured children from ages 1-15 years dressed up in attires from different regions of Karnataka, and other costumes. Dr Arathi Krishna, Deputy Chairman, NRI Forum, Govt of Karnataka, who judged the fancy dress competition said, “Kannada Rajyotsava is not only about promoting our culture but also making our language more widespread. With events like these, we are encouraging them to practice our culture and traditions of Karnataka.”