BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru Development Minister, on Thursday formally declared the 11-day Bengaluru Habba open by flagging off a bullock cart procession on Avenue Road in Chickpet, Bengaluru, on Thursday. The habba will commence on Friday. Speaking to reporters later, the DyCM said, “This is the place where Kempegowda built an inclusive Bengaluru with people from all castes and creeds. He is believed to have taken a procession of bullock carts in four different directions from Chickpet. It is appropriate that Bengaluru Habba is also kicked off from here.”
He further said that it is the government and people’s responsibility to conserve and nurture the tradition. Bengaluru Habba is an 11-day festival celebrating the art, culture, technology and life of the city and the government is providing all support to the festival, which will be held in 300 places around the city, Shivakumar added.
From next year, the habba will be held in each ward and Assembly constituency in the city so that people can participate in their neighbourhood itself, he informed.
Many people and organisations, including Unboxing Bengaluru, are organising Bengaluru Habba with their resources and the government is supporting it. People must make this a big success so that the culture of Bengaluru is kept alive, Shivakumar added.