Fest tableaux to showcase history, Kodagu's loss

Mysuru: The APMC yard in Bandipalya buzzed with activity on Wednesday as around 500 artists gave final touches to the 42 tableaux, that will roll out on the streets of the city as part of the spectacular Jumbo Savari on Vijayadashmi day, marking the culmination of the nine-day Dasara festivities in the state’s cultural capital.

Around 15 artists have been working on each tableau costing Rs 5 lakh, for over two weeks now. Besides depicting the history, architecture, culture and heritage of all 30 districts of the state, the tableaux are also based on government programmes and acheivements. This year some tableaux may also have social messages to convey.

For instance, artist Ravi Shishuvinahalli is working on a tableau that tells the story of translocation of 500 trees that were saved from axing along a national highway in Gadag with the support of the then district minister and Zilla Panchayat CEO.

Artist Manjunath Maane, who is making a Dasara tableau for the 26th year and has bagged prizes four times, is this year doing one on the Golgumbaz built by the 2nd Ibrahim Adil Shah in Dharwad.

Artist Kanmesh is working on a tableau that has the temple of Nayakanahatti Thipperudraswamy in Chitradurga as its centre piece, and disaster-hit Kodagu, whose tourism industry has taken a hit following the recent landslides and floods, is promoting tourism in its tableau. The higher education department has based its tableau on the state’s 19 universities.