Representative image showing Karnataka map
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: A two-day cultural festival celebrating Karnataka’s rich heritage will be held on November 1 and 2 at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC), Domlur.
The event, titled 'Krishna to Kaveri', is being organised in collaboration with the Azim Premji University and marks its second edition.
The festival aims to bring together art, music, and cultural traditions from across the state.
"It was a coincidence that both BIC and Azim Premji University were planning a festival celebrating everything about Karnataka around the same time. So, it was a perfect marriage of minds. In the first year, our intention was to celebrate everything about this great state and bring in various interesting elements. This year, too, we are carrying the event forward with the same intention,” said Vikram Bhat, director of BIC.
"Karnataka is a fusion of five different regions. But very often, Bengaluru only sees the southern side of the state. We want to bring these cultures to the forefront,” said Sudheesh Venkatesh, Chief Communications Officer and Managing Editor, Azim Premji Foundation.
The festival will open with a puja and Somana Kunita by Nagathihalli Chandrashekar and MC Ramesh, followed by a Hindustani vocal recital featuring Vinayak Torvi, Vyasamurthy Katti, and Gurumurthy Vaidya.
A crash course on Kannada is also planned. “We want the festival to be inclusive — in the sense that both old Kannadigas and new Bengalureans should be able to celebrate the state in a language that everyone understands,” said SV Manjunath, who heads the University's Kannada initiative.
Other highlights include 'Pratibimba #13, Srimata, Sadhanakeri, Dharwad'; a multimedia tribute to Jnanapith laureate Da Ra Bendre; '100 Years of Grooving', tracing Bengaluru’s musical evolution; and 'Songs from the Banks of Krishna and Kaveri', bringing together melodies inspired by river saints. A performance by the Vasu Dixit Collective will wrap up the event.
Throughout the weekend, BIC will host an art showcase by Art Park, led by senior artist SG Vasudev, and an exhibition of Karnataka’s monuments. Children can take part in a Chittara folk art workshop by Geetha Bhat and Shruti Belli.
For details, visit bangaloreinternationalcentre.org.