Thursday 4 October 2012

Back of the Blog - Chitra Santhe, the "Art Mart" in Bangalore, India

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

Next time when you are in Bangalore in the month of January, plan to be there on last Sunday. On this day, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath organises "Chitra Santhe" or the "art market" if one can literally translate it. Chitra in Kannada means drawing and Santhe means village market.

The concept of Chitra Santhe was born ten years ago when the then chairman of Chitrakala Parishath Dr D K Chowta wanted to bring artists face to face with buyers without middle layer called art galleries. He also wanted to remove the notion that art is only for elite and wanted to make sure it reaches common man as well. Next edition marks the tenth event.

After initial scepticism, the annual event has become a "must visit" even in Bangalore in January. This not only gives platform to budding artists as well as established ones but also allows both connoisseurs as well as common man to pick up some nice paintings. One may not see celebrity painters in the event, but either side of the road - 1 KM stretch - in front of Chitrakala Parishath virtually becomes a art market for one day. It is a riot of colours. You can buy oils, watercolours, charcoals.........also look out for nice sculptures and terracotta stuff as well. You can get your caricature done by the artists.

Artists come form all over the country to display their work. It is a feast for the eyes and a good day to spend.



Last time when we were there we bought a painting from a young Iranian artist who was studying in Chitra Kala Parishath.

I also happenned to see this nice video on YouTube by Rajaram1canvass.

Chitra Santhe on Youtube

So, mark the day. Be there on last Sunday in January 2013 which is 27 January 2013. You never know you may get a painting which may make you feel glad.

Useful links

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath

Wiki on Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath

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