PhotoEssay | Janapada Lokotsava 2010

Janapada Lokotsava 2010.

 

DATE: 27-28 th Feb 2010
Location: Janapada Loka, Ramanagara Mysore-Bangalore State Highway

JANAPADA LOKA

A Folk Cultural Activity Centre. A Folk University. A Folk Development & Research Institute. A Folk Museum.

Established in 1994, the centre has grown nationally and internationally in showcasing the best of folklore treasure. Centre celebrates Annual Festivals like the famous Lokotsava, [State Level Folk Cultural Festival], Kite Festival, Dassera etc.

Kindly visit the web space janapadaloka for further reading on janapada loka.

LOKOTSAVA

 

The State Level Annual Folk Cultural Festival. We drove to Janapada Loka on a lazy Saturday noon to witness the Festivities. Little I knew and little I expected from it as it was my first time there. On the forefront, I was awed by an elderly woman who had her hairdo with so many wonderful flowers which was exceptional.
Rather, inspirational. On the general note, almost every commoner thinks that folk has disappeared long ago. I was presented a very different picture from lokotsava. Aged from 6 to 60, every educated, semi-educated, uneducated person was there, giving complete dedication to every act of theirs.

Bhootera Kunitha, Bidar District

 

Bharath, the youngest from the team, is the leader of the group. Bhootera kunitha is one of the oldest and unique form of folk culture surviving in Bidar District. Their folk dance was a treat to watch. An elderly person sings the folk song of the local deity and the participant dancers dance with a lighted rope in their hands. The deity is held on the head by a female participant and she dances to the songs of praise to the deity.

Pandari Bhajane, Bellary District

 

Anjanappa, the main singer of the bhajans, has a team from as young as 10 year old female folk dancers to 70 year old bhajan singers. The bhajans were in kannada and telugu. The folk dance was much simpler than others. The bhajans were sung with background tala mela; the young dancers danced to the initial song and then the entire group danced in what seemed like very well choreographed.

Dollu Kunitha

 

There was Dollu Kunitha which was performed with highly talented group. The rhythm and the beats were great to listen to.

There were many other artists who performed several folk dances like the KORAGARA KUNITHA, the oldest and only tribe living in the region of Mangalore, GORAVARA KUNITHA, from a young troop from Bangalore who were trained in Janapada loka and a group of students from Bharathi College, Mandya who performed to the classical folk song which beautifully narrated the use of Bamboo in daily life and also performed to a wild tribal song in a contemporary style. Great performances I must say. Of this group, I could see everyone speaking fluent English and behaved very professionally. Folk culture in India is banking on such great talents not just from rural places but from cities and towns. Nadoja Dr. G. Narayana spoke on the current and future folk cultural activities and introduced the idea of bringing in the folk culture as part of the education system. Perhaps the most bankable way in which folk culture can survive and improve from here on.

Monthly activities : Folk cultural dance performances on every last Sunday of the month
Upcoming activities : KITE FESTIVAL in July, DASSERA FESTIVAL in October.