In a first, Bengaluru to host Kala Yatra on December 7. All you need to know

The festival is organised together by Infosys Foundation and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

For the first time, to address the challenges being faced in preserving tribal and folk arts, Kala Yatra is being organised in Bengaluru on December 7. The festival is organised together by Infosys Foundation and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. 

"We at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan have been organising this at a small level for close to 25 years. But this year we decided to make this into a mega festival. We will be organising this every year from now on," said H N Suresh, director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, to PTI. 

According to him, they are also collaborating with Karnataka Janapada Parishath, Karnataka Janapada Academy and the Research Centre of the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath. Suresh said historians and artists will come together during the festival and discuss the way forward for folk and tribal art forms. 

Event line-up 

The festival will be inaugurated by H C Boralingaiah, Chairman, Karnataka Janapada Parishath, added Suresh. Morning session will see presentations from art historian Choodamani Nandagopal, Director of Dhattu Puppet Theatre Anupama Hosakere, Curator of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath Museum Vijayashree C S, professor of Dravidian University M N Venkatesh, Principal of College of Fine Arts Gomathi Gowda and Member of Karnataka Natak Academy Ravindra Sirivara, said Suresh. 

Post lunch, the floor is open for discussion, he added. "Folk and tribal art and folklore have become an intrinsic part of our country's cultural identity. It is important to create an ecosystem for their survival. This is the core idea behind the festival," said Suresh.