The Krishna fancy dress competition will influence the lives of children as well as their parents, said Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Pradeep Kumar Kalkura.

Speaking at the Krishna fancy dress competition organised under the aegis of Kalkura Prathishthana at Kadri temple premises on Monday, he said due to modern education system, students are totally kept away from the flavour of Indian culture.

Through organising such competitions as part of Krishnashtami, children will be curious to know more about Lord Krishna and hence they will get an inkling about the culture of the land. As epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata and puranas do not find any mention in textbooks, organising such competitions will evoke interest regarding the same.

Students within the age group of 2 month to 12 years participated. In the competition, various categories including ‘muddu krishna’, ‘baala krishna’, ‘Shree Krishna’, ‘Yashoda Krishna’, ‘Yaksha Krishna’ and ‘Krishna Prasada’ categories are included for various age groups. 

The Krishna fancy dress competition has now spread even to cities like Bangalore. In fact, it has become sort of a national festival, he added.

Kadri Manjunatheshwara Temple Administrator A J Shetty said that it is not merely a competition, but seeks the participation of all family members. The competition is a platform for students to showcase their talent and added that parents must participate in large numbers in the competition.  

Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple chief archak Laxminarayan Asranna said religion is never wrong, but we only need to follow ‘dharma’ in letter and spirit. The participants and organisers are involved in a sort of ‘Krishna Seve,’ he added.

MCC Joint Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde said that religious awareness is on the decline and in such a situation, the programme is quite relevant.

Litterateur Thailoor Venkata Krishna said Lord Krishna is an embodiment of strength, beauty, playfulness, righteousness and kindness. It is a delight to see such little ‘Kishnas’ participating in the competitions, he added. 
Scholar Dr Prabhakar Joshi and AIR Chief Programme Executive Vasanth Kumar Perla were present. A cultural programme was later presented by renowned flutist Gururaj Marpalli, artiste Purushotham Adve and Bhagavath Ganapathi Bhat. Hundreds of children along with their parents participated in the competitions.