BENGALURU: After the successful crowd-pulling event Freedom Habba at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda (KBG) announced a 10-day Bengaluru Jatre (festival) from December 4 to 13 under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), in which music, art, culture, food, heritage, creativity and community celebrations will go beyond conventional festival venues and into the streets, parks, neighbourhoods, institutions and public spaces of the city.
“A government has a responsibility to enrich the lives of people living in an increasingly mechanical and fast-paced urban environment, while preserving and promoting the state’s rich art and cultural traditions. In this spirit, the State Government has decided to organise Bengaluru Jatre,” said KBG.
He said, Jatre draws inspiration from Karnataka’s traditional Ooru Habba/Jatre, a celebration in which an entire community comes together. A neighbourhood could host a music programme; another could celebrate food. A museum could curate a special exhibition; a college could host an innovation showcase; a park could become a performance space; a corporate campus could host a cultural programme; and a library or research institution could take knowledge and science into the public realm, he said.
“The five Corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority could activate streets, parks and grounds through citizen-led activities. The Kannada and Culture Department will showcase the best of Karnataka across the city, while Tourism and KSTDC could activate heritage assets and create Bengaluru-specific experiences.
BMRCL could explore busking and programmes at Metro concourses, while BMTC could carry the Jatre identity across its bus network. The collegiate, primary and higher education departments could facilitate the participation of institutions under them.
Schools and colleges, museums, galleries, science centres, cultural institutions and corporate campuses could all become part of the festival,” he said. All of this will be free to attend.
Bengaluru’s extraordinary growth has brought challenges in infrastructure, mobility, housing, environment, safety and quality of life. But the city’s future cannot be defined only by infrastructure and economic growth.
Idea behind Bengaluru Jatre
It seeks to strengthen civic pride and a sense of belonging among the city’s people; celebrate Bengaluru’s extraordinary cultural diversity and creativity; bring communities and neighbourhoods together; and activate streets, parks and public spaces as places of connection. It will create opportunities for artists, students, youths and communities to contribute and express themselves, while encouraging collaboration between government, cultural institutions, education, business and society.
