Musical treat at Cubbon Park

Musical treat at Cubbon Park
By: Diana Roberts
Date: 2008-11-05

Bangalore:

Spell-binding: Singers Srinivas Udupa, Archana Udupa and Ravi Shankar perform at a show organised by Prakruthi at Cubbon Park
If you are a connoisseur of old Kannada songs, and a great fan of legendary lyricist Chi Udayshankar, then you have an occasion to savour the songs, on Sunday at Cubbon Park.

Prakruthi, an NGO working towards conserving nature, organises a weekly musical programme every Sunday evening. The next evening is dedicated to Udayshankar.

Besides striving for the environment, the NGO is trying to revive Kannada culture, which has been lost through the years.

Prakruthi is the first to come up with the idea of choosing nature as its platform. Various bands and famous singers from the Kannada entertainment industry perform every Sunday evening at Cubbon Park, showcasing Karnataka's culture and nature, which is fast disappearing.

Praveen B Rao, founder of Prakruthi, said, "Culture and nature are to be preserved as they are the most endangered now. And we are doing it by dedicating an evening to them by performing their famous classical songs."

They educate the audience about preserving nature and how every individual's action could make a difference.

About 25 saplings are distributed after every show, to people who are genuinely interested in planting them at various places.

Ashwini Shashidhar, a student of Mount Carmel College, says, "It's a great concept introduced by Prakruthi and I had a great time spending the evening at Cubbon Park and witnessing a day dedicated to poet Bendre."

Star Lunch Box

For the first time in Bangalore, Prakruthi has introduced the concept of performing at IT companies during lunch breaks. EcoSpace was the first company to witness "Star Lunch Box". It showcased old Kannada songs, which employees enjoyed, as it allowed them to sit back and relax. Prakruthi has collaborated with the horticulture department, and has been granted permission to perform in 300 parks. Their motto is to educate, enable and empower people. Mahesh, an IT employee, says, "We're so busy with our work that we fail to pay attention to our environment. Prakruthi is creating awareness the perfect way in order to protect nature."

midday