Bahrain: Tulu Utsav - 2007 Highlights Tulunadu Culture

by Ronald D’Souza and Joe Andrade for Daijiworld News Network

Bahrain, Sep 9: A typical Tulu festival of food and variety entertainment under the banner ‘UTSAV 2007’ was held at the august out-door and indoor premises of The Palace Hotel, Bahrain, on the evening of 7th September, 2007.   

It saw the bulk of Mangalorean Tulu speaking community gathering together to bring out a packed cultural entertainment program indoors and a sumptuous layout of mouth-watering spicy delicacies, snack-bites or takeaway for all, prepared by the Chefs of the Tulu-speaking community on the island out-doors.    An event rich in cultural tradition and tastes of entertaining dances, games, mimicry and music,  not to mention the variety of food  from the Karavali region bringing back nostalgic memories of our Tulu hinterland, to make Bahrain a home away from home.   The program defeated the heat and humidity on the island and was entirely conducted in Tulu.

To add charm to the occasion, two prominent guests of honour and entertainment artistes were flown in from the Tulu mainland.    Prof. B.M. Hegde, a renowned Cardiologist and former Vice-Chancellor of MAHE, Manipal, and Ramanath Rai, a former Minister in the Karnataka Government, were the guests of honour.    The Chief Guest on the occasion was the Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Balakrishna Shetty.

Ramanath Rai inaugurated the out-door UTSAV 2007 Food Festival by lighting the lamp in the evening,  along with the guests of honor.  Offerings of prayer by Pooja was followed by traditional Tulu folk dances like Bootha Kola and Kurukurmama.    The centre of stage was then transferred to the main Hall of The Palace Hotel, from where after felicitation and honoring the revered guests with mementoes of remembrance,  the main Agenda of  live entertainment commenced.

Prof.  Hegde spoke in chaste Tulu at length, quite impressed at the superb and elaborate arrangements made by persons behind the program to give it the right touch and even better scintillating effect he had ever seen in life earlier.     He applauded the love and zeal with which the Utsav 2007 reflected itself in the people of the Tulu community and recommended that as a Doctor, his best prescription to all the people would be more such Utsav 2007 programs for the people’s good health!!

Balakrishna Shetty and Ramanath Rai also spoke on the occasion. Ramanath Rai thanked the organizers for inviting them to grace the Utsav and spoke on the rich Tulu heritage and culture that is still alive among the Tulu community, brought down from ages by forefathers. Jinraj Shetty, a prominent person in the Hospitality Industry and General Manager of  The Palace Hotel,  was also present on the dias with the guests.

The packed Stage Entertainment program took-off with Tulu songs by famous Tulu artistes, Mulki Ravindra Prabhu, Vijaya Satyanaran from Karnataka and a local singing sensation, Sunitha Kalyan.    The artistes voices quivered,  echoing  through the Hall, with the audience too participating by joining in their lyrical melody!       Music was provided by the Rhythm Orchestra with Nafjad on the keyboards.

Scintillating Bharatanatyam dances, typical folk dances from the Tulu malnad region and other varied group drum-beating dances,  performed  by young and old local artistes blended well giving the whole program a sensational Utsav touch.

The stage artistes make-up was by the expert hands of the one-and-only, Shankar Jathanna.     There is no Indian program in Bahrain that does not give a colourful touch to every artiste without the brush and caliber of his creative hands – a perfectionist at that in his own right

The highlight of the evening was mimicry by Sri Vismaya Vinayak, who like his name suggests, mysteriously and hysterically entertained the audience with sounds of various birds and animals giving a feeling he had a Games Sanctuary in his vocal cords.  He also brought us close to the dinosaur and took us back so many millennium years back to the real Jurrasic Park. The audience were numb with “shock and awe” to the typical display of natural quivers from his vocal cords.

The food stalls were frequented by all and there was a palatable bite for all at reasonable prices.    The games and health stalls were also specially arranged.

The main compere of the program was Austin Santosh who rolled the program Agenda as the main anchor.    

He was ably assisted by Leeladhar Baikampady.

The main organizers behind the UTSAV 2007 were Jinraj Shetty, Austin Santhosh, Amarnath Rai, Bharath Shetty, Leeladhar Baikampady and Shankar Jathanna.     Their painstaking united efforts made UTSAV 2007 a reality and brought the right kind of  “utsav” feeling among the cross-section of Tulu community that graced the occasion.