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Dr. Sudha Murty, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, felicitating Justice M. Rama Jois who was the chief guest at the 100th annual programme at IIWC
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A cultural NGO with phenomenal reach, infrastructure, networking and public goodwill is Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), anywhere in the country. Its activities continue to lend hope that ancient Indian wisdom and traditions will not disappear against the onslaught of Western cultural and lifestyle influences.
A sure fire pointer to this is the 100th successful conduct of the BVB-Infosys Foundation (IF) programme on April 15 at The Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC) venue in Bengaluru, marking a century of shows of the varied traditional arts of Karnataka, especially dying arts.
Besides music sabhas, several private organisations promote classical music and dance throughout the year in the city. This is apart from some of the major annual festivals devoted to these arts. But several other traditional performing arts languish because of lack of patronage and finance. This is where the BVB-IF project comes in a lacuna more than rectified by the BVB-IF project.
It has provided an opportunity for over 500 artistes to go on stage since inception in April 2010; brought to fore some rare arts form; created an interested and appreciative audience, and acted as a clapboard for young artistes from all over Karnataka, especially from rural areas, many of whom had their first glimpse of a metro such as Bengaluru, when they came to perform for Infosys Foundation.
Six years ago, when the association of the two organisations was concretised for this project, it was a coming together for a cause-promoting young talent, especially from the economically weaker sections, and those from rural areas.
If Sudha Murty thought it best to propagate Indian culture through the Bhavan there was a sound reason behind it. Way back, in 1997, she set up an annual endowment programme in her personal capacity in memory of her grandfather, Hanumanth Rao Kadim Diwan, a teacher by profession, and a true Indian at heart...... his love for the country's culture and philosophy was what prompted Murty to set up a programme in his name. This association got further cemented in 2010 through the BVB-IF project.
Says H. N. Suresh, BVB Director, Bengaluru Kendra, "This project has been an ideal channel for the less seen and less heard arts and artistes. In that sense it is a unique project which is truly altruistic in nature."
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