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Be a part of the celebrations to learn about the rich culture and traditions of Bengaluru
Bengaluru is a bustling metropolitan with a flourishing IT industry, earning the moniker, 'The Silicon Valley of India.' The city is highly modernised due to its fast growth. When you live in Bengaluru for too long, it is easy to forget the city's traditions and rich history preserved and celebrated every year. One day, while stuck in traffic at Kormangala, I realised I needed to change how I saw this city.
So, when my friends visit me during holidays, instead of taking them to the usual hangout points, I try and take them to the parts of the city where the city is the perfect blend of different cultures and where local festivals are celebrated with love and zeal.
I became the unofficial travel aficionado of my group. Anyone who wishes to experience the diverse culture, food, weather, music, and old traditions of this magnificent city would be promptly directed to me, and I would take them on a tour of upcoming fairs and festivals in the city.
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Here’s a list of some of the best festivals in Bengaluru. They add vibrance to the metropolitan atmosphere of the city with their glory, warmth, and grandeur. You really cannot afford to miss it. Let’s have a look.
This nine-day festival is celebrated to invoke Goddess Shakti. It is one of the oldest festivals in the region, passed from one generation to the next since the days of the epic Mahabharat.
The locals told me that this festival is dedicated to Draupadi. The legend is that after the war between Pandavas and Kauravas was over, Draupadi had to fight the demon Thimirasur. Draupadi took the form of Adi Shakti and created a team of warriors, known as Veerakumaras, and defeated the demon. Before returning to heaven, Draupadi promised to visit them at the same time every year, which is how the festival began.
The festival owes its ethnicity to southern Karnataka’s Vahnikula Kshatriyas Thigala community, believed to be the descendants of the Veerakumaras.
My and friends were mesmerised by the sight of a Karaga priest in women’s clothes dancing during the procession, while expertly balancing a tall floral pyramid - the Karaga - on his head.
This festival is linked to another beautiful tradition. The Karaga priest visits an 18th-century Muslim tomb every year during the procession. This is how this festival brings people together in the largest city of Karnataka.
When: Somewhere between March and April
Where: Sri Dharamarayana Swamy Temple
My friends didn't believe me when I first told them about the groundnut festival. "A festival for a legume!" they exclaimed until I took them to their first Kadalekai Parishe. In Kannada, Kadalekai means groundnut, and Parishe means fair. This two-day festival celebrates the first harvest of the groundnut crop every year. Thousands come here to buy the many types of groundnuts from vendors from all over south India.
I cherished savouring boiled peanut chaat while getting acquainted with the vendors here, who also had a colourful display of toys, bangles, clay trinkets, and other accessories for sale.
What’s more? You can also dance to the tunes of traditional music at the festival while munching on crunchy peanuts. Come here to witness this beautiful tradition of Bengaluru and cherish the different flavours of the harvest.
When: 2-day event in November
Where: Basavanagudi
Ugadi festival is the beginning of all things glorious and is a celebration of the Kannada New Year. This festival was an eye-opener to many of my friends from other countries who were only familiar with the typical New Year celebrations - inside a dingy pub surrounded by bottles of stale alcohol. If you have never been a part of traditional New Year celebrations, It is time for you to visit Bengaluru during Ugadi.
You can immerse yourself in the colourful hues of rangolis and decorations when the city prepares to welcome a new phase of life. It is believed that the day is auspicious to begin new ventures.
I treated my friends to a typical Ugadi lunch with my landlord’s extended family members. The feast included a variety of sautéed vegetables, lemon rice with mango grates, rasam, payasam, and more. I cannot describe in words the multitude of flavours in each morsel!
When: Late March or early April
Where: Throughout Karnataka
If you wish to see the whole world in one place, the Habba festival is just what you need! This festival is open to all and depicts the cosmopolitan side of Bengaluru. Artists from across the globe come here to partake in fashion shows, drama, music, and dance performances.
At Habba, you can be a participant and a spectator at the same time. I was amazed to find cricket and golf tournaments adding zeal to the festival. And yes, there are numerous khadi and crafts exhibitions to appeal to the shopaholic in you. The food vendors here sell a wide variety of local dishes during the festival. Be ready to treat your taste buds with some scrumptious dishes!
When: At the end of each year
Where: The event is held at different venues: National Grounds, Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Seva Sadan, Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Karnataka, and Chitrakala Parishath.
Now that we have gone global, it is time to embrace Mother Earth herself. Echoes of the Earth is one of the greenest music festivals aiming to spread the message of sustainability and eco-friendliness through direct action. The infrastructure of the event is designed keeping in mind the impact of the construction materials on the environment. Enormous sculptures are installed to raise awareness of endangered species, such as crabs, seahorses, and jellyfish.
The festival calls for protecting the environment amid hip-swaying beats. National and international artists of all genres come here to showcase their creativity. Here you can enjoy a variety of music, from folk to western. Come here to immerse yourself in the diversity of India at this beautifully curated event.
When: During the first week of December
Where: Venues keep changing
Other popular festivals in Bengaluru include Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra, Diwali, Makar Sankranti, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Christmas. Food plays a significant role in bringing people of all religions together during each festival.
At the end of each year, I have the habit of scrolling through my phone album, trying to piece together the memories into a single story. Thanks to the festivals Bengaluru has to offer, my album is filled with smiling faces, posing amid the splendour and the confluence of tradition and modernity. If you love to celebrate life with all its glory, Bengaluru will not disappoint you.
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