Attempts are being made in Hubballi to give a traditional touch to the Holi festivities that are round the corner.
Earlier, traditional percussion instruments ‘Halagi’, ‘Rana Halagi’ and ‘Jaggalige’ were part and parcel of the Holi festival and several folk troupes would entertain the revellers.
However, now, the traditional percussion instruments have disappeared and their place has been taken over by big sound systems that belt out high decibel film songs.
BJP leader and former Chairman of Karnataka Bala Vikas Academy Mahesh Tenginakai is now making an effort to bring back the folk artistes in the festival-fold and thereby revive the folk art forms.
Mr. Tenginakai said that the event known as ‘Hubballi Halagi Habba’ would be held on March 25. The festival would attract more than 20 folk troupes who would perform using ‘jaggalige’ (percussion instrument that is rolled on the ground while playing). There would be other ‘Halagi Melas’ and hundreds of youths playing the ‘Halagi’, he said.
He said that folk troupes from villages like Sulla, Chabbi, Byahatti, Pale, Tarihal, Soorashettikoppa and several old localities of Hubballi would participate in the event.
As part of the ‘Habba’, a procession comprising of the various folk troupes would be taken out from Moorusavir Mutt premises at 3.30 p.m. and the procession would pass through the thoroughfares of the city before concluding at around 8.30 p.m. at Tulajabhavani Circle, he said.
