If you are looking forward to cultural activities this time of the festival season, Ganesh Chaturthi is the right time. Bangalore today has become the hub of many local and national cultural activities as many temples, cultural organisations and resident welfare organisations in the city have geared up to give a plethora of music and dance programmes across the city.
Activities like concerts, dance recitals, rangoli competitions and other such activities are held which gives an opportunity to young artistes to share the platform with leading musicians in the industry. Some of the important annual cultural festivals that takes place is the Bengaluru Ganesha Utsav, a festival held by Srividya Ganapathi Seva Samithi and others.
Srinivasan, the general secretary of Sri Vidya Ganapathi Seva Samithi said, “We are conducting the cultural festival during Ganesh Chaturthi for the past 44 years. We started this cultural programme in 1969. The festival is completely dedicated to the traditional art forms especially from the south. We focus mostly on Carnatic classical music, devotional music, Harikatha, Light music and Talavadya Kacheri in this week-long festival.”
Artistes from across the state will perform in this festival. Some of the concerts held this season are of Malladi Brothers, Nithyashree Mahadevam and party, Layatharanga troupe to mention a few.
However, Srinivasan laments, “Indian cultural heritage and its tradition is gradually getting diluted and it is necessary to spread awareness among the present generation to carry forward our heritage. In order to promote our tradition and culture. Many students from the college in the vicinity of Dodda Ganapathi Temple are voluntarily participating in the activities that we are holding.”
In this year’s Bengaluru Ganesha Utsav, artistes like Dr K J Yesudas, Shankar Mahadevan, Ilayaraja, Sonu Nigam, Sangeetha Katti, V Hari Krishna, Giridhar Udupa, M D Pallavi, Kasturi Shankar and others will perform at APS and National College grounds, Basavangudi.
Speaking about his performances in cultural festivals during Ganesha Chaturthi, Giridhar Udupa said, “In Bengaluru Ganesha Utsav, we bring a team of 50 artistes with both the Indian and the global percussion instruments on a single platform. In this concert, 50 artistes will play over 21 instruments. We are trying to blend folk, fusion, Carnatic, Hindustani and also the world instruments.”
Meanwhile, a unique painting exhibition is being held at Sri Vinayaka Temple Road, R T Nagar where 108 unique Akshara Ganesha Paintings (Solo) exhibition in calligraphy style has been kept on display.
Devagiri Temple which conducts a week long cultural festival and has been doing it for over 30 years is, however, conducting the cultural festival this year only for a day. Citing the reasons, Madan G H, secretary of the Devagiri Temple said, “We are immersing the Ganesha idol today. The renovation of the wedding hall in the temple premises is also going on.”
Besides the temples and organisations, the resident welfare associations are also doing their bit by promoting the diverse cultural heritage of India through celebrations of Ganesha festival. The Poorna Prajna Resident Welfare Association, Uttarahalli has been celebrating the festival with great pomp and fare for the past 10 years. This association conducts rituals like Pavamana Homa, Ganesh Homa and Satynarayan pooja which are performed in a traditional manner every time. “This year, the association is organising a Carnatic classical music concert of K V Krishna Prasad, a budding artiste," said the association president, Hyagreevachar.