JOIN USRural set to come alive in modern Bengaluru
A model village, which captures Karnataka's distinct rural life in all its quaint glory, is all set to enthrall hyper-modern Bengaluru.
Two years in the making, the village, spread across 4 acres on the campus of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Development (MGIRED) at Jakkur, aims to highlight the sustainable way of life and encourage people to emulate a lifestyle that leaves less carbon footprint.
Officials at MGIRED said the idea was to go beyond rural cliches and help visitors to have a closer look at life in a village. So, the village doesn't limit itself to farming or other agriculture activities. More than 1000 life-size exhibits bring alive the way of life of people, their architecture, traditional practices in various fields from education to medicine, art and craft.
Manoj Kumar Shukla, Executive Director of MGIRED, said the display will be open to the public after the inauguration in November.
“Owing to the announcement of the by-polls, the inauguration which was scheduled on October 5, has been delayed. The entry will be free for government school students but a nominal amount will be charged from others to help maintain the facility,” he said.
Also included in the model village are the real-life imitation of a rural vegetable market ('santhe'), several types of cattle, wrestling and Kambala competitions with crowds cheering.
The Janapada Rangamandira depicts the varied song and dance forms of the state, giving the viewers a glimpse into the popular folklore, their instruments and traditional attires. With an added indoor auditorium, Shukla said that the space will be dedicated to showcase Kannada folk movies, theatre and plays.
MGIRED has spent close to Rs 13 crore on the project, the construction of which began in early 2018. All the models and the architectural aspects here are the brainchild of senior artist, art teacher and folklore scholar Dr T B Solabakkanavar.
With everything handmade, including the wooden pillars, more than 150 of his artisans, sculptures and fine arts graduates have worked relentlessly from the past three years from a workshop in Gotagodi village of Shiggavi taluk in Haveri, said Praveen Pujar, who is supervising the work being done here at MGIRED.
For those who have left their villages to earn a living in Bengaluru, the set up will be a reminder of their roots. For the urban folk, it is a familiarisation trip.
“Most city dwellers, especially the younger generation, hardly have any knowledge about the day-to-day lifestyle, cultural, or traditional occupations of people in villages. Through our village set-up, covering every region of Karnataka, we at MGIRED aim to introduce rural India to the urban public and hope to inspire visitors to adopt the age-old practices of sustainable living still followed in our villages,” said Shukla.