Bengaluru gears up for 11 day art and culture habba

The first edition of Unboxing Bangalore Habba will be inaugurated with a bullock cart parade at Doddapete Square on November 30. The Habba will feature events focused on arts, literature, culture, food, heritage and technology. They will be held between December 1 and 11.

The Habba is an attempt to bring together various cultural activities in the city under a common banner, says festival facilitator V Ravichandar.

“The festival has been put together with the aim of making Bengaluru the go-to destination for arts and culture for two weeks in December. We were inspired by the likes of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where people fly in from across the world. We don’t have anything like that in India,” he says.

It features three of the city’s popular events — Bangalore Literature Festival, Bengaluru Design Week, and Bengaluru Tech Summit. It has also brought on board 52 event partners, who are contributing in their own way.

“For example, Bangalore International Centre (BIC), which usually conducts 10 shows over two weeks, is hosting 25 events in the same period for the festival,” he says.

Indian Music Experience museum, Shoonya, Museum of Art and Photography, Courtyard Koota, and Lahe Lahe are other such venue partners.

The Habba has been curated to ensure that every citizen can enjoy the festival in and around their neighbourhood, without having to travel far or braving traffic. “We’re bringing the festival closer to people’s homes and offices. BBMP has allowed all of its parks to be used for the festival, under the condition that no food or sale of items will be allowed (on the premises),” says Ravichandar. 

Over the course of 11 days, fitness activities will be conducted at five different parks from 7 am to 8 am. “Similarly, in the evening we will organise 30 musical events in various BBMP parks. We’re also inviting resident welfare associations to conduct fun activities of their own and give local talent a chance,” he adds. Street carnivals have also been planned across six localities — Church Street, Yelahanka, Whitefield, Jayanagar, Malleswaram, and Sarjapura.

Heritage walks are also part of the festival calendar. They will cover the history of prominent landmarks such as Cubbon Park, Bangalore Fort, Tipu Sultan’s Palace, and All Saints Church, temples of Halasuru, old Bangalore neighbourhoods like Malleswaram, Cottonpete, Chickpete, Basavanagudi and Cantonment, and Nandi Hills. Food walks are also scheduled.

For the schedule, visit habba.unboxingblr.com

Kannada in focus

In a bid to promote the language and culture of the state, the festival will stage five Kannada plays by Jangama Collective — ‘Jugari’, ‘Na Rajguru’, ‘Kanive Hadu’, ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ and ‘Dweepa’. BIC will also host Yakshagana and Talamaddale events in different parts of the city.

‘Nityotsava’, a vocal performance of vachana and dasa sahitya by musician Chitra Srikrishna, will also be held at different venues.