Variety activities amuse huge crowds at Whitefield Habba

The first ‘Whitefield Habba’ held on Sunday received an overwhelming response. People attended the event in large numbers to celebrate Kannada Rajyotsava organised by the Whitefield Rising (WR).

People from in and around Whitefield came to the Inner Circle Ground, the venue of the Habba. Various activities like volleyball, tug-of-war, rangoli, skits, dance, music and story sessions were held.

Students from various schools in Varthur and Ramagondanahahalli too took part in these competitions. Amid this, children and adults alike made a beeline to the food stalls that were dishing out traditional cuisines from different parts of state.

 “I like the very informal air; it is a nice relaxed environment,” said Anurag, who came all the way from Hebbal. For Afroz Khan, it was “a great way to spend a Sunday, a nice opportunity to see lots of people at one place.” The six-hour event that began at 2 pm celebrated the rich culture, crafts and cuisines of the state.

The highlight of the event was that no plastic disposables were used at the food stalls and the waste was managed by Hasiru Dala, a membership-based non-profit organisation of waste pickers and other informal waste workers.

Mallakhamb, a traditional Indian sport, performed by residents of Vijayanagara drew big applause from the crowd.

WR volunteers explained the visitors the various initiatives undertaken by it: waste segregation and composting, stray dogs’ welfare, car-pooling, volunteering at government schools, teaching school dropouts, creating awareness among voters, among others.