Bellandur apartment hosts Karnataka folk artists for Rajyotsava

More than 100 folk artists brought puppets, dance and percussion to Adarsh Palm Retreat in Bellandur as residents marked Kannada Rajyotsava on Saturday.

The apartment complex began the day with a flag-hoisting ceremony and a Karnataka-cuisine lunch, before a procession moved through the complex. Chilipili Gombe puppets, Hulivesha dancers from Mangaluru, Sattige Kunitha and Puravanthike performances were part of the programme.

Artists travelled from Ramanagara, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Vijayapura, Mandya, Chikkamagaluru and Haveri districts. An all-women Mahila Veeragase troupe from Chikkamagaluru performed the Shaivite warrior dance form.

The APR Kannada Sangha organised the event with resident volunteers. The participating artists received support through Janapada Siri, a CSR initiative backed by Benaka and Tekion. Organisers said the programme aimed to give rural folk practitioners a platform and introduce children and younger residents to Karnataka’s traditional art forms.