Bengaluru Jatre: City to host 10-day cultural festival from December 4

After the success of its one-of-a-kind Freedom Habba, Bengaluru will host a 10-day city-wide cultural festival — “Bengaluru Jatre” — from December 4 to 13, with the State government planning programmes across public spaces, educational institutions, museums, Namma Metro stations and other venues, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced on Saturday.

The event will bring together music, theatre, literature, food, art, heritage, and other cultural activities on a common platform, the Minister said, addressing the media here.

“Government agencies are expected to organise more than 100 programmes, all of which will be free to attend,” Mr. Gowda said, adding that a central website is planned to carry the festival calendar and connect visitors with individual programmes organised by participating institutions.

Mr. Gowda said the festival is being conceived on the lines of the traditional Ooru Habba or Jatre in Karnataka, where an entire community comes together to celebrate. He added that the government would adapt the idea to Bengaluru by allowing neighbourhoods, institutions, artists, businesses, and communities to organise their own programmes. “There will be no single Jatre ground and no single central stage. Instead, Bengaluru itself will become the stage,” Mr. Gowda said.

“Unity does not mean uniformity. Bengaluru has many colours and expressions. We want every neighbourhood, institution, and community to celebrate in its own way and still feel that it is part of one Jatre,” he said, pointing out that the event is intended to complement the government’s focus on civic infrastructure. “A government that works every day to address the everyday problems faced by citizens also has a responsibility to enrich the lives of people living in an increasingly mechanical and fast-paced urban environment, while preserving and promoting the State’s rich art and cultural traditions,” he said.

The five corporations can use parks and grounds for citizen-led activities, while the Tourism Department and Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation could use heritage sites for programmes and Bengaluru-specific experiences. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited is expected to explore performances and busking at Metro concourses, while the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation could carry the festival’s branding across its bus network. Schools, colleges, museums, galleries, science centres, cultural institutions and corporate campuses have also been invited to participate, Mr. Gowda said.