The four-day national-level Bal Bharat Srujanotsav had a colourful beginning at the Pilikula Nisargadhama here on Sunday. The event is being held to celebrate 25 years of the Bal Bhavan Society.
A large number of children from Karnataka and a few other states participated in the inaugural procession that started from Vamanjoor. The procession was led by traditional “chande” artistes. They were followed by people donning Yakshagana costumes and Huli Vesha (resembling tigers). The procession also featured peacock dance and tableaux depicting the culture of Dakshina Kannada.
It was the children from Daman and Diu and Odisha who hogged the limelight with their distinct costume. Though these children looked cheerful at the start, they looked stressed reaching the venue. “It's too long a walk for us in this humid condition. We were not told about the distance we had to cover,” said a member of the team from Daman.
Inaugurating the festival, Minister for Women and Child Welfare C.C. Patil asked children to learn from the diverse culture of the country. He asked children to appreciate talent from other States and build their creative skills by participating in extra-curricular activities.
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister J. Krishna Palemar asked students not to get carried away by the western culture. Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly N. Yogish Bhat, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Chairperson of Bal Bhavan Society Sulochana G.K. Bhat, spoke. There was a folk dance by children from Jammu Kashmir Bal Bhavan. The team from Bihar Bal Bhavan presented the ballet “Vikram Betal”. Monday's programme includes cultural events by children from different states at the Shivram Karanth Vedike between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. There will be art, mural making, sand sculpture and other art shows at the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya Vedike between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. besides lecture on fun science, chemical magic, science demonstration and sky watching at the C.V. Raman Vedike between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. There will be live science demonstration, Taramandal show and interaction programme with scientists at the C.V. Raman Vedike.
