Festivals of colour and culture of Karnataka
After the festival season concludes in October or November, Karnataka welcomes the season of fairs. Most of these events are known for their grandeur — flashy lighting, small eateries, a variety of vendors and crowds who participate and watch traditional rituals.
While fairs are known for their unifying features, some stand out with unique practices. Maruthi Temple in Uttara Kannada’s Karwar, for instance, is popular for its variety of colourful rangolis.
The two-day annual fair held in December hosts traditional dotted and free-hand rangolis. In recent years, the festival has even seen realistic portraits created using rangoli. Some even portray current events and eminent personalities. The designs are drawn using flowers, leaves and grains, among other materials.
The most recent fair featured rangolis depicting President Droupadi Murmu, the late Puneeth Rajkumar and scenes from the Kannada movie Kantara.
“This year, I drew four rangolis showcasing President Murmu, the movie Pushpa, actress Priyanka Chopra and actor Suriya at the fair. It took me nearly 10 to 12 hours to draw each rangoli,” says 25-year-old rangoli artist Nikhil Raikar. The artist has been participating in the rangoli fair since he was in Class 5.
Chandrahas Swar, who has been managing the fair, recalls how it grew in popularity over the years. “The practice started with drawing rangolis in front of the houses on the streets surrounding the temple to welcome the palanquin procession. Initially, people used to draw traditional rangolis. Over the years, the rangoli artists have become more creative and the fair has begun attracting people, including artists, from Maharashtra and Goa,” he says.
Today, rangoli competitions are held in four categories and prizes are awarded. People from all faiths participate in the fair, making it a platform to showcase the creativity and talent of participants.
Rotti fair
The rotti fairs of North Karnataka are famous for their unique theme. Over the years, they have become a symbol of communal harmony as people of all religions and castes sit together and enjoy rottis with a side of vegetable dishes. Fairs held in Shirol and Dambal in Gadag district, Mugalkhod in Belagavi district and Shakapur in Kalaburagi district are particularly popular.
In Gadag, the event is held during Sankranthi (January) every year. The tradition began decades ago and was initiated by the Tontadarya Math. In the villages around the math, women begin tapping jowar rottis a week before the event.
While the math provides some jowar flour to the houses, families contribute grains and vegetables. They volunteer in the preparation of cooked vegetables, chutneys, curd, kemp hindi, kari hindi and other dishes.
“I have been witnessing the rotti fair in Dambal for years. There is no discrimination here. The meal becomes even tastier when all villagers gather and eat together,” says Laxman Dodmani of Dambal.
Around one lakh rottis are made, explains Muttanna Kuntikal, a member of the jathra committee. The fair is visited by 25,000 to 30,000 people. Along with the main event, cattle auctions, rural sporting competitions, health camps and cultural events are also held.
In Shakapur, the Tapovan Math hosts the rotti fair. The math provides jowar and bajra flour to houses in Avarad, Halagadla, Harnuru and other villages where both kadak (hard and crispy) and soft rottis are prepared. Around 30,000 people participate in the fair and savour jowar and bajra rottis as a prasada.
In Mugalkhod, people from all communities enjoy rottis. Mugalkhod is located on the Karnataka and Maharashtra border and rotti jathra is held here as part of the Yallalinga Temple fair. Here, rottis and other dishes are carried to the math tied in a white piece of cloth called ‘butti gantu’. The sight of these butti gantus is a treat in itself.
Theatre
In the Badami Banashankari fair, theatre rules the roost. Traditional drama companies and artists camp here for at least a month before and during the fair. Hundreds of people visit to watch plays that go on from evening to early morning. Songs, like ‘Banashankari Jathre Jora, Barthava Nataka Saavirara…. (Thousands of dramas come to the grand Banashankari fair)’, portray just how popular the Badami fair plays are.
Rituals are held in the morning and the stages come alive in the evenings. A common scene during the fair is a whistling audience that encourages the actors while enjoying rotti and other snacks. Several plays feature mythological stories and comedies that have social and patriotic themes. Regardless of genre, the plays are known for their humorous dialogues in colloquial languages.
The 15-day Gavisiddeshwara fair held in Koppal is also known for its culture and food. After Deepavali every year, hundreds of people around Koppal offer grains and pulses harvested during the kharif season to the ‘Gavisiddappajja’ in Koppal. Tins of ghee, jaggery, raisins and other dishes are sent to the math.
During the fair, quintals of rottis, rice, sambar, sweet dishes, cooked vegetables etc are prepared for lakhs of visitors as part of the dasoha (the tradition of offering food to the devotees). Mirchi bajjis are a staple during the fair. This year, around four lakh bajjis were prepared and distributed.
These annual fairs with different themes not only bring people together but also hold mirror to the state’s cultural and food diversity.
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