Kannada Rajyotsava: Where Culture and Celebration Unite

Debasmita Dutta

Kannada Rajyotsava: Where Culture and Celebration Unite

A congregation celebrating historical identity, culture, and language, Kannada Rajyotsava is literally an Utsav or ‘festival.’ It is rightfully said that “during this month, Karnataka offers the best of everything”.

(A celebration of heritage, source: PosterMyWall, Google)

Rajyotsava Awards, the second-highest civilian awards of Karnataka, are also distributed on this day to eminent persons who have contributed greatly to the state's development. The tradition started in 1966, with ten recipients bagging the award in numerous categories. Some of the categories are Journalism, Literature, Science and Technology, Education, Agriculture, Outland Services, Yoga, and many others. Students are also awarded for winning in National competitions.

Kannada Rajyotsava is an example of the vibrant cultural identity and pluralism in India. Considered to be one of the grandest festivals of Karnataka, it welcomes the enthusiastic participation of people from all backgrounds.

Have you ever visited Karnataka during this magnificent festival?

A feeling of brotherhood pervades the atmosphere. The festivities begin with an image of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari mounted on a decorated vehicle being paraded on the streets. Predominantly a cultural occasion, the air rings with folk songs, dance, and drama. Being the seat of classical Carnatic music, the riveting high notes spike the essence of festivity. Regional dances are extremely popular, like Dollu Kunitha - a drum dance, Kamsale - a unique performance blending martial arts, religion, and rhythm, Veeragase - inspired by the Veerabhadra episode of Hindu mythology and meant to be performed only by the Lingayat community, and Kolata - a dance performed with colored sticks. The official folk theatre of Karnataka, Yakshagana, is also performed. Typically open-air theatres, they derive their stories from Indian epics and Puranas, dramatising them for creative purposes. Folk denotes the long-standing history of an indigenous community and is a fast-dwindling form of performative art.

The struggle for Independence from the British had inspired a search for identity. Stuck between their colonial and national identities, Indians were fast losing the heritage that affected their daily lives the most - the language they spoke, the festivals they celebrated, and the legacy they wished to pass on to their progeny.

Kannada Rajyotsava is celebrated to commemorate the formation of modern-day Karnataka in 1956 on linguistic lines. However, the idea of a separate Kannada-speaking state was born as early as 1905. Aluru Venkata Rao, an author, historian, and journalist, is credited to have started the Karnataka Ekikarana Movement (Integration of Karnataka). He is widely known as Karnataka's Kulapurohit or the High priest of the Kannada family because of his strife for Karnataka's statehood.

Arrangements for the 1st of November start early. The day is anticipated with bated breath, and the entire state decks up in yellow and red - the colors of Karnataka's flag. Yellow (from turmeric) and red (from vermillion) are considered auspicious colors. Amidst the haze of hues, Kannadigas of India and abroad congregate to celebrate Kannada Rajyotsava. The state flag is hoisted at homes, educational institutions, private and government establishments, and residents are encouraged to sing the Kannada anthem "Jaya Bharatha Jananiya Tanujate''. The main cultural program is held at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, which the honorable Chief Minister inaugurates every year with an opening speech after the flag-hoisting ceremony.