Going the ‘desi’ way
TRADITIONAL FERVOUR
The campus of St Anne’s College, Miller’s Road, was abuzz with activities on the occasion of Desi Habba.
Traditional decorations adorned the college with food stalls selling authentic Karnataka cuisine. Folk dances, songs and other activities reflecting the culture of the State were held too.
The event was organised by the Kannada department of the college to help the students become familiar with the traditions of Karnataka. The entire campus was decorated in a traditional way with mango and coconut leaves and various flowers. Even the stage was decorated with hand-painted wooden statues, earthen pots and hase (chittara) painting, which created a typical rural ambience.
The cultural programmes started with an invocation dance by Radhika Prabhu, a student.
The dance item narrated a story from Bhagavatha which involved Krishna arriving in Mathura for the first time and meeting an old handicapped woman on the street. A servant of Kamsa and a devotee of Lord Vishnu, this lady would provide sandalwood paste to her master. However, since she was in a bad state, Krishna borrowed the sandalwood paste she was carrying for Kamsa and applied on himself. He also blessed her with a healthy physique. This part was effectively enacted by Radhika Prabhu.
Up next was a vocal recital by Navyashri and team, who sang folk songs like Sharanu Shranu Vayya Gananayaka, Haadiri Raagagala, Maatanad Annayya Maatanadu, Kariya Kabbina and Guruve Siddappaji. There was also a group dance for the song, Madhuchandrana Beladingalu, written by Ranjini Prabhu, a Kannada professor in the college. The choreography was done by Radhika Prabhu and the song was composed by Upasana Mohan.
“Once in two years, we celebrate this festival in our college. In most of colleges, ethnic celebrations are limited to traditional dresses. But we actively engage our students in folk arts and create an awareness among them. Our students also come forward with great enthusiasm to take part in such events. We also put up stalls which sell Kannada food items like obattu, holige, chutney powder and chakkuli,” said Trilochana Wadeyar, a professor of Kannada.
Go Ru Channabasappa, Chairman, Karnataka Janapada Parishat, was the chief guest of the function. The performances of nine different folk arts like dollu kunita and kamsale were the prominent ones of the day. A contemporary dance portraying mythological characters was also enjoyed by the students.
