Unfolding heritage by brush! Karnataka CM promises Rs 1 crore for Chitra Santhe, state's biggest street fair

Bangalore, January 6: Lakhs of visitors thronged the Chitra Santhe, Karnataka's biggest annual street art fair, organised by the Chitrakala Parishath on Sunday. After inaugurating the event, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said that ₹1 crore will be earmarked for next edition of the festival in the coming budget.

 

 

 

The 17th edition of the event saw artists display their works in 1,660 stalls on the stretch from Shivananda Circle to Windsor Manor Circle. “The drawings and the portraits here are so beautiful that it manages to draw everyone’s attention, and one day isn’t enough to see all these magnificent works of art. This year's theme is based on farmers, which is very close to my heart,” said the chief minister.

 

Visitors and art lovers enjoyed the experience of interacting with artists who had come from across the country to display their works. Artworks are priced from Rs 100 to Rs 10 lakh. Eleven roads led to Kumara Krupa Road on Sunday. And the stalls extended to Crescent Road and Gandhi Bhavan Road. There were bursts of colour everywhere. From beautiful landscapes to portraits to abstract art to body painting.

 

For the first time, the Chitrakala Parishath has instituted a national award this year, named after its founder secretary Prof. M.S. Nanjunda Rao. It will be awarded to senior artist R.B. Bhaskaran and will carry a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.

 

 

 

This year’s Santhe was dedicated to farmers and over 1,300 artists from various states like Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Goa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha displayed their works. While some showcased the lives of farmers, the others stuck to what they were best at, displayed paintings of animals, Buddha, Lord Shiva, 3D paintings etc.