Music to soothe the joggers

After the introduction of traffic-free Sundays, Cubbon Park underwent another major transformation with the reintroduction of musical concerts at the Bandstand in the centre of the park on Sunday.

With the rousing Hindustani renditions at the nearly century-old Bandstand, the departments of Horticulture and Kannada and Culture have signalled the start of what will become a weekly tradition.

Pandit Parameshwara Hegde crooned the first verses as a part of the ‘Udyanavanadalli Udayaraga’ programme.

In 1920s

The concerts have been an integral part of the park since the popular Dewan of Mysuru, Mirza Ismail, introduced them in the 1920s. The concept was expanded to many more parks, including Lalbagh. However, four years ago, the programmes were stopped after joggers in a few parks complained of the “noise” that disturbed the serenity of the mornings.

With the traffic-free Sunday becoming a success, the departments decided to reintroduce music in the hope of making it a popular event.

“This not only gives good encouragement to the music scene, but also allows for walkers and joggers to partake in the cultural performances,” said Mahantesh Muragod, Deputy Director of Horticulture (Cubbon Park). Horticulture Minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa inaugurated the performance on Sunday.