JOIN USThe construction of Almatti Dam led to the submergence of certain parts of Bagalkot. Due to this, a new township called Navanagar was created, about six km away from the City. A well-planned space, Navanagar has all the major facilities and is noted for its Cultural Complex, wherein you can visit the Uttara Karnataka Janapada Vastusanghrahalaya (North Karnataka Folk Museum), Bayalu Rangamandira (Open Air theatre), and the Kannada Sahitya Parishat.
The Museum portrays the lifestyles of Uttara Karnataka people and their folk culture. You can find life-sized models of men and women enjoying a traditional kolata dance in one of the corners here. In another corner, you can find a tableau, which depicts artists playing several traditional instruments like the cymbals, dholak, drums and shehnai. One of the most endearing displays is the one called Somari Katte, that showcases people sitting under a banyan tree, talking, laughing, sleeping and playing games.
The village elder’s home or halli gowdara mane has the chief sitting in the front verandah. You can also find a kitchen displayed in all its glory with traditional pots and pans, an exclusive space for animals and children engaged in a game in the verandah. Look out for a pastoral scene, where men and women are guarding their flock of sheep with a Mudhol hound. All these rural scenes are designed with great attention to detail.
You can also pay a visit to the exhibit room in the premises. This room showcases photographs of everything from irrigation projects to canals to farming crops like sugarcane and sunflower to the old Bagalkot town.
The room is also a grim reminder of the havoc caused by the backwaters of Krishna from the Almatti Dam including the submergence of parts of Bagalkot such as the British cemetery, fort, mosque, temples, streets, houses and agricultural lands. A few replicas of inscriptions found in the houses that were later submerged give an idea of the rich cultural heritage of these villages.
Family tree of the Chalukyas of Badami, Kalyan Chalukyas, Rastrakutas, and
Vijayanagar dynasty make for an interesting study. The Jain sculpture gallery has idols of Thirthankaras -
Mahavira and Parsvanatha. Decorative panels from 12-13th century AD have
beautiful carvings.
Another interesting gallery is the display of Shaiva sculptures with idols of Shiva, Shivalinga, Nandi, Ganesha, and Kalabhairava. There are a few archaeological findings such as stone edicts, Sati stone and veeragallu (hero stone). The Vaishnava sculpture gallery has idols of Vishnu, Varaha and dwarapalakas. Swords, shields, pottery and stone tools catch your eye.
The paintings exhibited on the walls of the Museum corridor are worth looking at. These include celebration of festivals like Kartika, Nagapanchami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Vijayadashmi, Dasara, Deepavali and Moharram. These are large-sized murals that capture the spirit of the festivals and show great degrees of craftsmanship.
The Museum is open from 10:30 am to 6 pm and charges a nominal fee of Rs 5.