The Week That Was, at BLR Hubba!
- Team Heritage Beku
- 13 hours ago
- 6 min read
This year, Heritage Beku came back in full swing for the 2026 edition of BLR Hubba, the city-wide festival which takes place from 16th to 25th January. Having over 300 events spanning various venues around the city, it is a celebration of the city and its heritage, while also channelling community engagement and collective appreciation for everything this city has to offer. Our contribution to this celebration was a series of walks in various venues around the city, and a collaboration with Heritage Beku’s Revival Series at Cubbon Park Bandstand. It was a whirlwind 10 days filled with positive interactions, enlightening conversations, and enthusiasm for the future!
Cubbon Blossoms Walk
On theme with this year’s Heritage Beku calendar based on the works of Rumale Chennabasavaiah, the prolific artist often dubbed as the “Van Gogh of Karnataka” due to the uncanny similarities in painting technique, The Cubbon Blossoms Walk with art historian Dr Pramila Lochan and Ms Shabala Devi was held on 16th January 2025. It was a technicolour morning, with the walkers keenly listening to the history and legacy of Rumale Chennabasavaiah. For that morning, we stepped into his shoes and traced his path around Cubbon park, placing his physical paintings where he had once sat and worked his magic. We saw the Gulmohars he painted, the statue of King Edward that he had brought to life with pink and blue hues, and reminisced the erstwhile bamboo groove section of Cubbon park that Rumale was fond of. Guided by the memory of his personal philosophies and frugal life, it was a journey back in time with those who knew him best. The winter sun in Cubbon coupled by the fascinating stories by Dr Lochan and Ms Devi, the Blossoms Walk was indeed one for the books.
The Lalbagh Unfolded Walk with Suresh Jayaram
The Lalbagh Unfolded Walk with Suresh Jayaram on 17th January 2025 began at the foot of the serene Lalbagh hill, one of the most well-known nature landmarks in Bangalore. We were very lucky to be led by the iconic Bangalorean Suresh Jayaram, the author of bestseller book ‘Bangalore's Lalbagh’—a chronicle and anecdotal narrative of the city and its oldest garden— the walkers were guided with a plethora of information and trivia on the formation of the city’s natural history, from the nomenclature of ‘Lalbagh’, named after Hyder Ali’s mother, to the links between nature and the industrial development of mining in Bangalore. There were deep insights on the globalisation of species of trees which was also taken up by experts such as Gustav Krumbiegel, the pioneer of urban planning in the city and of ‘serial blossoming’ in the city’s flora, and Mirza Ismail, the city’s biggest advocate for natural spaces and parks in urban places. The walkers were guided to roads lesser travelled in the garden: visiting the groves of the remaining tamarind and eucalyptus trees, the quarry at the periphery of Lalbagh, and paying homage to the 250-year-old White Silk Cotton Tree at the West Gate! The Lalbagh Walk was a holistic package of retrospection, discovery, and humility, bowing to wilderness at the heart of the city.
Bandstand: Samvada by Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography (NIKC)
On January 18th, the Bandstand came alive with the rhythms and grace of the Natya Institute of Kathak & Choreography (NIKC). Established in rather unconventional times, the Institute lives and breathes dance, standing as a platform of remarkable stature and achievement. Deeply committed to protecting and nurturing the legacy of Indian culture, NIKC simultaneously pushes the boundaries of dance education and performance, while consciously inhabiting the public domain through movement. Their presentation was a vibrant collection of Kathak sequences that undertook a linguistic journey across Kannada, Awadhi, Hindi, and Sanskrit. Performed by the Bangalore-based, internationally travelled ensemble, each piece unfolded like a shifting mosaic, illuminating the many layers of the country’s cultural spirit. Original music, evocative costuming, and intricate choreography converged to create a shimmering visual landscape, performed by Ramya Nagaraj, Keerthi Kumar V, and Roopa K, under the guidance of the renowned choreographer Madhu Nataraj. The sequences included Ganeshaya Namaha, Kahe Rokat, Samvad – “Tell me, she said”, a poem by Sally Atkins, Udaravyragyavidu, and Jhinjhoti Tarana. Madhu Nataraj’s brief yet articulate introductions gently wove each segment into a seamless whole, while interactive interludes invited the audience to participate. One of the most joyful moments of the morning was when the audience was encouraged to clap along to different taalas, an invitation they accepted with great enthusiasm, turning the Bandstand into a shared rhythm of collective joy.
Walk The West End: Guided Walk of Taj West End
The ‘Walk The West End: Guided Walk of Taj West End’ on 20th January 2025 has been a staple of Heritage Beku, spearheading this experience of Bangaloreans. Guided by Mohamed Musavir, head concierge of the prestigious hotel, it was an ode to the one of the oldest heritage places in Bangalore. From its beginning as the Bronson West End in 1887, its pivotal role in the film ‘Passage to India’ to its present day function, it was a portal across time and lived history. We were also graced by the presence of P K Mohankumar, who once served as the General Manager at the hotel. His insights on the shifts in architecture over the decades, and his service to renowned guests such as King Charles III, it was very special to hear the perspective of someone who has been in the room– or rather the hotel— where it happened. He also Other pivotal locations in the property such as the Muneshwara temple, the Chambers, the oldest post box Bangalore, and a volcanic rock that connects to the gneiss rock in Lalbagh, add richness to the hotel’s pedigree. Ending the walk with Taj’s signature high tea, the intimate experience of being guided around the property will be cherished for the days to come.
Bandstand: Parisarada Hadugalu by M D Pallavi
January 24th witnessed the much-loved voice of the Kannada music scene, MD Pallavi, whose performance titled Parisaraḍa Hāḍugaḷu was a soulful ode to nature, poetry, and memory. Her bhavageethes, cherished across generations, found a perfect home in the early morning calm of Cubbon Park. She began with Bendre’s Mudala Maneya, a song that tenderly describes a serene morning where sunlight enters a home and gently fills it with warmth—an image that felt almost uncannily aligned with the soft 8 AM light filtering through the trees around the Bandstand. She went on to sing Mankuthimmana Kagga by D. V. Gundappa, followed by Nanna Shalmala, composed by the revered C. Ashwath, which captures the character of the Shalmala river flowing through Uttara Kannada. Jogin Jalapatha, written by J. P. Rajarathnam, beautifully portrayed the grandeur of Jog Falls in his signature Ratnana Padagalu style. At one point, Pallavi invited the audience to sing along, and the response was immediate and heartfelt. Requests poured in—Yede Tumbi Haadidenu, Deepavu Ninnade, Shravana Banthu, Yaava Mohana Murali—each received with warmth and applause. The morning was further enriched by the presence of Ms. Kusuma, Deputy Director of the Department of Horticulture, and Dr. Rajeev Gowda, former MP, who joined the audience in celebrating the performance.
Bandstand: Songs of Nature by Karthik Hebbar
On January 25th, the Bandstand hosted Karthik Hebbar with his performance titled Songs of Nature. Known to many through his widely loved social media series Songs from Amma’s Kitchen, Karthik has carved a unique place for himself in Bengaluru’s arts ecosystem—as a singer, composer, theatre director, and a committed queer activist. Despite slight delays in the schedule that morning, the audience displayed remarkable patience and resilience, choosing to stay back and wait, a quiet testament to the trust and affection he commands. When he finally began, the wait felt entirely worth it. Karthik opened with Mudala Maneya, offering his own reflections on the song before moving into stories and music that flowed effortlessly between the personal and the poetic. He spoke about the Kaajana, the Rocket-tailed Drongo, explaining the reason behind its name before singing Kuvempu’s song dedicated to the bird, drawing gentle smiles and nods from the audience. He continued with Toogu Manchadalli Kuthu, a lyrical exploration of Radha and Shyama’s love, and concluded with Deepavu Ninnade. Throughout his performance, Karthik reflected on the rare privilege of singing amidst nature, observing how time seems to pass differently when one is surrounded by trees, birds, and an attentive audience. His words resonated deeply, especially in that moment, as the Bandstand once again became a space where art, environment, and community met without hurry.
It is always a special time for us, the BLR Hubba, because with each year our horizons broaden. And this year we reach newer heights of community engagement: from fawning fur-buddies to awestruck adults, all of our attendees took back memories from this year's line-up. It was the week that was, and what a week it was.
Authored by:
Chetana Agnihotri
Apeksha Narayan
Photo credit: Apeksha Narayan