Date:02/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/02/stories/2006110219430400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

An unmatched extravaganza

Special Correspondent

An `Akashganga' of different kind stole the show

`HUTTIDARE KANNADA ... ': Actors led by Shivrajkumar dancing during the Suvarna Karnataka celebrations at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Bangalore: The State Government planned a grand opening to the Suvarna Karnataka Rajyotsava inaugural function at the Chinnaswamy Stadium: a spectacular skydiving act by the Akashganga team from the Indian Air Force. But nature decided otherwise.

Minutes after rose petals were showered on the packed gathering at the stadium, there was an "Akashaganga" of a different kind. Rain clouds gathered and the drizzle became a steady downpour. The sky offered a rare spectacle: dark clouds in one half of the sky and bright sunshine in the other. Soon a rainbow appeared. After half an hour, the rains receded and two clusters of white clouds, illuminated from behind by sunlight, appeared in the sky.

The rest of the function went on without any hiccups: quite an unmatched extravaganza.

The cultural programme packed all the songs that played an important cultural role in the Karnataka unification, including B.M. Srikantiah's "Erisi haarisi", Da. Ra. Bendre's "Onde onde Karnataka onde", Huyilugola Narayana Rao's "Udayavaagali namma cheluva Kannada naadu" and many more which had children from various schools dancing to them.

What really stole the show was a synchronised performance by 40 folk troupes from 27 districts of Karnataka, titled "Janapada Baagina". Troupes performing Veeragase, Halakki Kunita, Ummattata, Karadi Majalu, Kamsale and many more forms were spread across the huge stadium and had the audience tapping their toes to the vibrant beat.

Some folk troupes had tweaked tradition a bit to suit the mood of the occasion. For instance, the long polls carried by the Nandi Kunita troupe had the red-and-yellow Kannada flag wrapped around them.

Equally fascinating was the Yakshagana performance that had schoolchildren and professional artistes dancing to a composition in praise of Mahishasura Mardhini, the family deity of the wadiyars of Mysore.

The audience missed the late Rajkumar on the momentous occasion. Every time the compere mentioned his name, the audience spontaneously broke into a thunderous applause.

The programme had his son Shivarajkumar, along with several actors, dancing to the hit number "Huttidare Kannada Naadali huttabeku".

At around 7.30 p.m., Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy lit a flame to mark the formal inauguration of celebrations. Schoolchildren danced to D.S. Karki's famous song "Hacchevu Kannadada deepa" with lamps in their hands.

Powered as they were by batteries, the lamps kept glowing despite wind and the damp weather.