Ganesha Habba, celebrating the elephant-headed, chubby deity is loved throughout boundaries with diversified levels of pomp and present. Bengaluru’s Sri Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha, is among the oldest trusts and has been organising the Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava for the previous six many years. The celebrations characteristic pujas, homas, music, artwork and culture from throughout the nation with food particularly from varied areas of Karnataka.
This 12 months is the Sangha’s 61st Bengaluru Ganesha Utsava, and is going down in three completely different venues. It began off with a Maha Yagya on September 3 at Shankar Mutt, Shankarpuram. Then, the pandal travelled to Orion Mall at Brigade Gateway, Rajajinagar and between September 6 and 13 there have been a sequence of concert events, that includes reputed artistes together with Ricky Kej, DJ Jasmeet and Nakul Abhyankar.
On September 13, the celebrations travelled to the Shankara Foundation, Kanakpura Road, with classical dance and music recitals that includes artistes equivalent to Shobhana, tabla Venu and the Manju Drums Collective.
From September 18, there can be a artistes equivalent to Anup Jalota, Aruna Sairam, Vijay Prakash and Pravin Godkhindi, for concert events starting at 7pm. The festivities will conclude on September 29 at
Shankar Mutt.
Nandish Mariyappa, Managing Trustee of the Bangalore Ganesha Utsava, talks in regards to the historical past of the Sangha. “Sri Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha was began by the youth in 1962. They have been impressed by Bal Gangadhar Tilak who began the pandal culture to convey folks together. Ganesha habba is a pan-India pageant. No matter the place we come from, culture drives every one in every of us. We are what we’re right this moment due to our wealthy culture and heritage, which is what we proceed to advertise via our Sangha, 12 months after 12 months.”
“As the youth in each technology took over from their seniors, each added one thing distinctive to the pandal culture. In the ‘80s when the founders needed to surrender the Ganesh habba festivities because of age issues, the subsequent technology took over and continued with the celebrations. We even organised it nearly throughout the lockdown with a small viewers strictly following COVID-19 protocols.”
The very first pandal, Nandish says, was put up in a bicycle store on DVG Road and featured concert events and harikathe. “Over the years the footfalls for the habba elevated and the pandal moved from the bicycle store to DVG Road itself. Huge jamkhanas have been rented and unfold out on the street so folks would sit and be part of the festivities. Finally, when the numbers grew so giant as did the visitors, and we might not organise a pandal on the streets, we steadily shifted to parks and auditoriums; right this moment, mutts and malls are the venue.”
A file picture from the picture archives of the Sangha the place a clay Ganesh-making workshop was held throughout the habba
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Special Arrangement
Nandish’s father was one of many youths who began the Sangha within the ‘60s. “Singer PB Srinivas was one of many first celebrities to carry out for us and SP Balasubrahmanyam began singing at pandals
from our sangha.”
Making a degree of reviving the dying arts, the sangha promotes artisans on the stalls organised on the pandals. “We serve typical Karnataka delicacies to the guests.“
The pandals and Ganesha festivities are zero waste, says Nandish. “Our Ganesha idols are handmade with natural clay, which is then immersed in a small pond. The concert events at our pandals are freed from price.”
The artistes, Nandish says, take a nominal payment. “Most of the time, they carry out free of charge and cost us only a rupee!”