Reviving the State’s traditional folk arts

Karnataka’s folk art traditions are a link to the past. Some organisations and individuals in the city are working towards reviving it. Metrolife caught up with a few of them.

Aviratha Trust is a non-government organisation working towards reviving the traditional folk arts of Karnataka. The organisation also supports rural education by giving away books and computers to government schools. They recently conducted a Janapada festival hosting various artists from all over Karnataka to showcase their folk arts.

"Our main aim is to promote rural education. We also contribute in reviving the traditional folk art as it forms the basis of any other art," says Satish, the founder of Aviratha trust.
Head to www.aviratha.org for more details.

Chittara trust

Chittara is an organisation which promotes the Karnataka folk art 'Chittara'.The organisation invites traditional Chittara artists from rural areas and conducts workshops in schools and colleges.
"Chittara drawings are intricate patterns, that represent the auspicious ceremony and rituals of life, symbolized in geometric patterns. We use natural colours(Red, Yellow, Black, White) and natural paint brushes(self-made brushes from plants). The response from schools and colleges has been great. Encouraging the traditional folk artists is the motto," says Geetha Bhat, the founder. The trust has also conducted an international exhibition of Chittara in Japan.
Head to www.cfria.in for more details.

Chintan Vikas

Caption

Chintan Vikas is Kannada Playback singer, who has an inclination towards Janapada art.
"Janapada can never be washed out. It forms the base for all music genres and there is no question of reviving it as it is never lost," says Chintan. "I am not against employing western

instruments in Janapada songs. The outcome is all that should matter," he asks.

Ananya Bhat

Ananya Bhat

Known for her recent rendering of the Janapada song 'Sojugaada Soju Mallige', Ananya Bhat shares that there is a need to preserve Janpada folk art. "It is necessary to indulge in reviving it because only by preserving it, will we have something to pass on to the coming generations," shares Ananya.

Anavarana Trust

Born out of the need to address and negotiate contemporary cultural challenges through the Kannada way of life, Anavarana trust fosters and showcases the traditional performing arts of Karnataka, mainly Puppetry. "Puppetry is not a lost art. People are just ignorant about it," says Ravi M, the founder of Anavarana trust. Through the trust, Ravi conducts various puppet shows inviting artists from different parts of the country.
Anavarana Trust is hosting a three-day puppet festival on November 21, 22 and 23 at Ravindra Kalakshetra. Along with arts from other states, the festival hosts a leather puppet performance exclusive to Karnataka.
You can reach them at [e-mail]