Backed by art & craft, Namma Bengaluru Habba sees crowdswell

Parts of Sankey Road and the premises of Sankey Tank turned into a hub of festivities on Sunday as art and culture brought by Namma Bengaluru Habba made the weekend a memorable affair for many.

The overcast sky did not deter nearly 80,000 people streamed in to the park throughout the morning and strolled along the walker’s path punctuated by stalls. Those who had enough of art and craft in the stalls stood at a corner watching a 30-minute Yakshagana performance.

Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George, MLAs C N Ashwath Narayan and N A Harris came to the park and took a walk. George couldn’t contain the surprise when a flyboard performer rose up from the water right in front of them and stayed at a height of 25 feet. The leaders took a selfie with the flyboard surfer in the background.

The pathway along the lake was bedecked with flags of different colours. Artists and craftsmen exhibited their work and talked to curious visitors with enthusiasm. “We wanted this to be people’s event. So we kept it very informal,” said Kharge.

“It took some effort to convince our son give up a cricket match and come here,” said Sankalp Mitra and Sneha, showing their 10-year-old son backpedalling a decorated cycle rickshaw. “More events like this should be organised to engage the public in art. Otherwise, we are left with shopping malls and movies,” they said.

The stalls near the west entrance in Malleshwaram had various art and craft workshops. Techies Pallavi Kerla and Sunaina Kotekar held ‘Decoupage workshop’ showing how to paint bottles and wooden materials through coloured papers. “Painting is my hobby and these platforms are really helpful in showcasing our talents,” Sunaina said.

There were ‘classes’ where children learnt various skills ranging from making clay pots to weaving coconut leaves as well as traditional screen printing.

Many did not come for the activities but just to experience the festive mood. “I hope there will be an event like this every month with the same spirit. The focus should be on art and craft and less on decoration for which the government has to spend a lot. Walking here itself is a joy compared to driving on the congested Sankey Road,” said Raghavendra M, a banker.

DH News Service