It is festival time in Bangalore

It is festival time in Bangalore
The Hindu

After last year's "Bangalore Habba," Bangaloreans get to experience a confluence of art, craft and culture again at two mega events — the Bangalore International Art Festival (BIAF) 2004 and the Svetoslav Roerich birth centenary celebrations, from October 17 to 27.

The BIAF begins on Sunday at 10 a.m. with art exhibitions at the Chitra Kala Parishad (CKP), Windsor Sheraton and 20 art galleries in the city. An "art walkway" will be organised from October 17 to 22, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Promenade, Mahatma Gandhi Road. A "midnight bazaar" will be open at the same venue from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on October 21 and 22.

The cultural part of the BIAF opens at the BRV Parade Grounds on Sunday at 7 p.m. when violinist. L. Subramaniam and his singer wife Kavitha Krishnamurthy perform along with 100 to 50 artistes from all over Karnataka.

The BIAF is divided into four sections — the first comprises the art exhibitions and art-related events while the second involves the art walkway, seminars on art, a world art bazaar at Cubbon Park (October 17 to 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and interactions on art at CKP and Windsor Sheraton (October 17 to 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

The third section involves a dance festival at the Bandstand, Cubbon Park (October 18 to 22, 7p.m. to 8.30 p.m.), a fashion show coordinated by Prasad Bidappa at BRV grounds (October 21, 7 p.m.), a textiles exhibition entitled "Spindle & Needle: Kasuthi & Kantha" at CKP (October 17 to 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.), a pottery fest at Cubbon Park, Bal Bhavan (October 17 to 22nd, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), a film festival at Badami House (October 17 to 27h), a youth festival titled "Oceans of Joy" at Cubbon Park, (October 21, 6 p.m.) and a theatre festival themed around Picasso, Salvador Dali and Van Gogh at Nani Arena (October 18, 20, and 22, 6.30 p.m.); the fourth section involves poetry reading at Crossword, Residency Road (October 19, 6.30 p.m.) and an audio visual seminar entitled `Soul Art' at Yavanika (October 18 to 22).

All BIAF events are free but passes are available at Café Coffee Day, M.G. Road. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses will ply between CKP and the participating galleries, from October 17 to 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. For details, contact Mantram Art Foundation, Ph: 5763 5602/2526 3268.

Roerich centenary

The Roerich centenary celebrations begin from October 17 with an "open house" at the Roerich (Tataguni) Estate on Kanakapura Road on Sunday. Special BMTC buses, plying between the city and the Tataguni Estate, will be stationed at Jayanagar 4th Block Bus stand, KSRTC bus stand main entrance, Shivajinagar bus stand and CKP from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.