Dances of Bangalore-About Bangalore Dance-Culcture of Bangalore

Classical Dance

The charms of classical dance are the sensuousness of its movementss and the sensitivity of expressions.Bharatnatyam, yakshagana and Kalaripayettu are some of the dance forms that are very popular in this part of the country.

Bharatnatyam 

Bharatnatyan is one of the oldest classical dance forms in India.The name Bharatnatyam has been derived from bhava(expression), raga(music), tala(rhytham) and natyam(dance).This dance from has its roots in the tradition of devadasis and is around 200 years old.Grace, purity, staturesque and sculpturesque poses characterize this dance form.Bharatnatyam relise on three elements , nion) ritta(rhythmic element), nritya(combition of rhythm with expression) and natya (dramatic element).

Yakshagana

The origin of yakshagana, a folk dance-drama, goes back to the 11th century.The Vaishnova Bhakti

movement led to the birth of this traditional from of theatre.It comprises a distinct style and combination of dance , music,the spoken word,costume, make up and stage setting.

Yakshagana literally means the gana(song) of a Yaksha, a tribe mentioed in the Sanskrit literature of yesteryears.An all-male cast of actors and musicians enact episodes from the Mahabharata epic.Elaborate make-up.spectacular costumers, tall headgear and a profusion of ornaments set apart these actors.

Kalaripayettu

Kalaripayettu is derived from kalari, meaning a place where martial exercise are taught, and payattu, meaning a fencing exercise or trick.

Believed to be the mother of all martial ars, Kalaripayettu originated over 2000 years ago.Its practice can be traced back to the Dhanur Vedic texts.This dance is practised in kerala and in the adjoining areas of Tamil Nadu.Strikes, Kicks, grapples, martial dance, weaponry and healing techniques make up this dance form.Dancers strive to discipline their mind and spirit so as to execute the moves perfectly and display their physical prowess.

Kalaripayattu incorporates three distinct fighting traditions,Northern,Southern and Central.The Northern tradition places emphasis on the use of weapons.The Central tradition follow a sophisticated system of footwork and includes circular movements and spinning teachniques.The Southern tradition emphasize on footwork, movement and the ability to attack the vital points in the opponent,s body.

Folk Dances

The folk dances of Bangalore  are classified in to religious and secular, based on the content and purpose. Religious dances are performed at fairs, festivals and other religious occasions celebrated by natives.Dances like Nandi Dhwaja,Lingada-Berana,Gorava,Veeragase, Beesu,Kamsale and Puravanthike are dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva.Bhagawanthike , Pata Kunitha and Bana Devara Kunitha are dances dedicated to Lord Vishnu.Mariammana Kunitha, Urimarammana Kunita,Puja,karaga,Dollu,Soman Kunita,Harige,Sedere,Bhoota Nrutya, Naga Nrutya, Vatte Kola,Kombat and Billat are folk dances performed to worship incarnations of Shakti, the deity of power.

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Music in Bangalore-About Bangalore Music-Culcture of Bangalore

The custams and rituls associated with a place make up the culcture of Bangalore city.Art, music and dance have enabled a hitech city like Bangalore to carve out its own niche in the culctural world.The city also boats rich tradition of theatre and literature.

Music transcends all barries of time, emotion, culcture and language.In Bangalore,care has been taken to promote both Indian classical as well as Western Music.
Carnatic music,belived to have its origine in the Vedas, halis from this part of the country.According to some scholas, Carnatic music drew inspiration from ancient Tamil music.During the Vijayanagar rule,the Kannada Haridasa movement of Vyasaraja, Purandra Dasa and Kanaka Dasa fanned the growth of carnatic music.Purandra Dasa, called the father of Carnatic music, is belived to have imparted a structure to the then-rudimentary Carnatic music.He has about 4,75,000 compositions to his credit.
The vital elements of Carnatic music are sruti(pitch),raga(melody),swara(sound),tala(beat),kriti(song) and varnam(notes).The five important styles of singing are Raga Alapana, Niraval, Kalpanaswaram, Thanam and Ragam Thanam Pallavi.
carnatic music compared to Hindustani music, is a more rigorous, formal and dtructured form of music.Its basic form is monophonic with 72 basic scales on the octave and a rich melody.
Carnic raga elaborations have a high tempo and are short in lenth.Varnam, the opening piece, is a warm-up for the musicians.It is followed by devotion and a request for blessings.Next is a series of interchanges between ragas(unmetred melody) and thaalams(the ornamentation).This is merged with hymns called kritis and followed by the pallavi or theme of the raga.
Saint tyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and shyama Shastri are the three chief gurus of carnatic music and hail from nearby Andhra Pradesh.
It is an encouraging trend that bangalore has a loyal following of carnatic music even among the yonger generation.Also popular with Bangaloreans are numbers from hit Hindi and Kannada fkicks.International music like pop and Hip-hop also have a huge audience in this part of the country.

Dances of Bangalore
Bangalore Habba
Cinema Halls or Movie Theatres in Bangalore

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Bangalore Habba-Participate in The Bangalore Habba

  A combination of technological achievements industrial strides and rich cultural heritage, mixed in correct proportions, stirred well , and garnished with healthy inputs of positive mindset has put Bangalore on the globel map.Globalization has given Bangalore financial freedom as well.Bangaloreans , actually signifies a shiftt from the ideals and ethis that are essentially Indian.It has often been observed that pursuing momentary and materialist pleasures have led to an increase in family and social tensions in urban setups.

To bring home the prodigal youth, so to speak, the Artistes Foundation for the Arts(AFFA), decided to do something radical.They decided to something  radical.They decided to familiarize the youth with their own culture and heritage by bringing them face-to-face with their legacy.AFFA launched the  the Bangalore Habba, the city's first arts and cultural festival.

Ever since Habba was launched ,Bangalore's dwindling cultural heritage received a new lease of life.The Bangalore Habba ensured the revival,rejuvenation and creative excellence of traditional forms of art like dance,drama,pottery,poetry,art,weaving,theatre and music.People from all parts of the country perform at this  open air festival.Members of the young generation also perform actively in these programmes.This annual festival has promoted an understanding of traditional folk arts and excellance.It has incucvated in people a deep sense of aesthetic finesse.It has also strengthened bonding and mutual respect among the residents of Bangalore and the migrant population.A feast for the sense, Bangalore Habba has seen the international community taking keen interest in the programmes.There are people from spain,Morocco, France,korea,Germany,Rassia,Japan,China, and other countries who live in this city.Bangalore Habba has give them a space to perform.

Interestingly, India's top musicians like Pandit Jasraj,Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia,Ustad Amjad Ali Khan,his Sons Amaan and Ayaan Ali and Taufiq Khureishi(Zakir Hussain's brother) have given stunning and exceptional presentational during the festival.Danseuse Shobhna too has performed modern and traditional Bharatanatyam pieces with live orchestration.The celebrated Bharatanatyam dancer, Yamini Muthanna , has thrilled the audience with her performance. Bollywood stars like Malaika Arora, Kailash Kher and Sayad Aadil Husain have also set the stage on fire.However ,for most Bangaloreans, the music rendition of Shankar,Ehsan and Loy,Bombay Vikings and Sukhbir remains the most memorable event.

Theatre has also found a platform at this festival.Plays like Gokul Nirgamana, The Chairs and Black Bakhkhai have been staged.Lesser known artistes have also demonstrated their talent here.

added attraction like shopping, screening of films, street theater and a youth festival called Resonance, have made Bangalore Habba a much-waited event in Bangalore.Resonance , a three-day inter-collegiate dance, music and theatre festival, has encouraged the participation of numerous colleges.Adventure sports like drag race, vintage car rally , golf as well as fashion shows, live paintings,astrological readings, caricature artists and food courts enliven the festival.

Equally thrilling is the annual Habba Food Festival.It has always been a massive hit with one and all. From South Indian to North Karnataka , Thai to Tandoori , a wide range of cusines have found ready acceptance in the festival.All these and much more make the event successful.

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Arts and Crafts in bangalore

The bangalore is a Culctureal City.Bangalore is Known for its Arts and Crafts. The interiors of these edifices stand adorned with arts and crafts, which have beauty beyond description. Right from wood to metal to stone, almost all types of arts and crafts can be seen in Bangalore. These age-old arts and crafts have been passed on from generation to generation and are being perfected more and more with time. In the following lines, we have provided more information about the arts crafts of Bengalooru, India.

Wood Carving

The craftsmen of Bangalore still follow the age-old techniques for doing carving, inlay-work, coating, painting, etc in wood. The woodcarvings done by them speak magnitudes about their exquisite craftsmanship. Infact, the entire state of Karnataka, which abounds in forest reserves, is known for the art of woodcarving.

Ivory Carving
One of the popular arts and crafts of Bangalore, infact the whole of Karnataka, is ivory carving. The articles carved out of ivory mainly have the images of Gods and Goddesses as their theme.

Stone Carving
Stone carving also counts amongst the major arts and crafts of Bengalooru. Infact, the stone carvers of Karnataka have won numerous awards at the national as well as international level also.

Sandalwood Craft
The fragrant sandalwood is used to make some of the most exquisite pieces of art. The most popular images carved out of sandalwood are those of Lord Krishna. Apart from this, items like jewel boxes, combs, trays, decorative articles, lampshades, etc are also in demand.

Doll Making
The area most famous in Bangalore for Doll making craft is that of Channapatna. The wooden puppets made in the city are widely used during the festival of Dussehra. Besides the wooden puppets, puppets made of leather are also quite common.

Metal Ware
The craft of metal ware has been practiced in Bangalore since ages. The items made of metals include ornamental penholders, jugs, candlesticks, plates, paper knives, bowls, etc.

Mysore Paintings
The famous Mysore paintings of Karnataka date back to the time when Ajanta caves were carved. The exquisite drawings boast of soft lines, smooth edges, dazzling vegetable colors and gleaming gold leaf. There is also a school in Bangalore, dedicated to the art of traditional painting.

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Best Time to Visit Bangalore

Bangalore is the capital of the Karnataka state. Although Bangalore does not have an exceedingly thriving tourism industry as compared to the other major cities of Jaipur, Delhi and Mumbai, the city is still an important hub for many IT professionals and home to many expats. However, Bangalore does have quite a few important sightseeing destinations, scattered in and around the city. Make sure to visit the city during the right months to enjoy this green paradise. Strategically located at the southeastern part of the state, Bangalore has one of the fastest growing economies in India. Bangalore is enclosed by many fresh water bodies such as Ulsoor Lake, Hebbal Lake, Madivala Tank and Sankey Tank. The city has a tropical savanna climate with a combination of dry and moist weather condition. Bangalore is dotted with a slew of tourist attractions such as the Bangalore Palace, Tipu Sultan Palace, Hesaraghatta Lake, Vidhana Soudha, Bull Temple and Cubbon Park. Read this article to known more on the best time to visit Bangalore.

When To Go To Bangalore Weather Condition 

Bangalore has a fairly pleasant climate all round the year and a trip to the city can be planned according to your expediency. Summer in the city commences from early March, lasts up to the initial days in June, with temperatures ranging from 28 degrees C to 33 degrees C. Monsoon hits Bangalore in the months of mid June to early October, and is characterized by moderate rainfall to heavy showers. Winters in the city sets in during mid October and stretches up to January, with temperatures dipping below 20 degrees C to 15 degrees C.  

Opting Your Favorite Season 

If you prefer warm sunny weather, then the months between March to June summer is the best season to visit this place. Summers in Bangalore are not intolerable because of its higher elevation but the heat could leave your throats quite parched. So make sure to carry lot of fluids and dress in cotton fabrics while touring the city. But if you enjoy the monsoon and don’t mind being cajoled by the gentle dewdrops and caressed by the soft breeze, then you should visit the city during June and October. Winters in Bangalore can be compared to the summers of any hill station. The weather is cold and relatively enjoyable. If you like such climate then you should holiday in the city during mid October and January. Note that winters in Bangalore can be quite dry so make sure to carry a moisturizer to retain the oil levels in your skin.

October to February

The winter months in Bangalore are the best time to visit the city. It doesn't really get very cold with the lowest temperature dipping to about 10°C. With so many lakes and gardens to visit, sightseeing and outdoor activities are most comfortable at this time. You wouldn't need heavy woolens but carry a light jacket, especially for the nights, which tend to get chilly. This is also a good time to plan getaways from Bangalore since there are a number of tourist attractions just outside Bangalore.

March to May

While winters are over, the temperature is still pleasant. The maximum temperature doesn't usually cross 36°C even in the hottest months making it perfect for the summers as well.

June to September

Monsoons begin by the end of May and come with mild to heavy rainfall. August and September can see heavy showers but they are rarely continuous so you can still plan a trip without the rain becoming a dampener. Just carry an umbrella and a sturdy pair of shoes, and you are good to go. 

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