Basava Jayanti celebrated with floral tributes, grand procession, bike rally in Ballari
Basava Jayanti was celebrated with great fervour in Ballari on Wednesday, marked by a series of events, including a bike rally in the morning, floral tributes to the 12th-century social reformer and a vibrant cultural procession in the evening.
The celebrations were organised under the joint auspices of the district administration, the Zilla Panchayat, the Department of Kannada and Culture and the Ballari City Municipal Corporation.
Floral tributes
The formal celebrations began with dignitaries offering floral tributes to Basaveshwara's statue near H.R. Gaviappa Circle in the city.
Deputy Commissioner Prashanth Kumar Mishra led the homage, garlanding the statue and honouring the philosopher-statesman.
He urged the public to embrace Basaveshwara's timeless ideals of equality, humanism and social reform and extended his greetings on the occasion of his jayanti.
Bike rally
Earlier in the day, a bike rally was held across major roads in the city, led by Ballari Rural MLA B. Nagendra and Ballari City MLA Nara Bharath Reddy. Participants paid floral respects at the statue of Basaveshwara following the ride.
Prior to the rally, a Bhoomi Puja (groundbreaking ceremony) was performed at Basaveshwara Circle for the construction of a grand new statue of Basaveshwara, estimated at a cost of ₹1.5 crore.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Mayor Mullangi Nandeesh, Chairman of Dr. Babu Jagjivan Ram Leather Industries Development Corporation Mundargi Nagaraj, municipal members and community leaders.
Cultural procession
In the evening, a grand cultural procession was flagged off by Mr Mullangi Nandeesh on the Municipal College Grounds off Dr. Rajkumar Road.
The procession made its way through key parts of the city — Gadigi Channappa Circle, Bengaluru Road, Old Brucepet Police Station Road and Theru Beedi —before concluding at the Dr. Joladarashi Doddanagowda Rangamandira where a stage programme was held later in the evening.
The procession showcased Karnataka's rich cultural heritage with performances of Veeragase, Kamsale, Dollu Kunitha and Tashe Randol by various folk troupes.
Departmental tableaux and placards depicting the life and messages of Basaveshwara added to the visual and educational appeal of the event.
The celebrations saw the enthusiastic participation of officials, cultural leaders, community members and citizens from all walks of life.
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