Bengaluru, Nov 22 (IANS): For the first time since its inception in 2002, the annual iconic street art mart "Chitra Santhe", which is held on the last Sunday of every year in this tech city, will go online on January 3, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions, an official said on Sunday.

"The art mart or market (Chitra Santhe) will be held online on January 3 and not on the road around our centre due to Covid-induced curbs on large gatherings in public places for social distancing," Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath president B.L. Shankar told IANS here.

With Bengaluru being the epicentre of the pandemic in the southern state, the state government is unlikely to permit the art centre to hold the mart in its vicinity on the tree-lined Kumara Krupa avenue, where hundreds of art lovers or aficionados flock to see various artworks displayed from dawn to dusk for viewing and sale.

"We are dedicating this year's event to the Covid warriors and hold a cultural show online along with the art show as a tribute to their service and sacrifice in containing the virus spread," said Shankar, a senior Congress leader.

As artists, painters and folk troupes from across the state make a beeline to the art show every year, the Parishath is advising them to upload their artworks on a dedicated website being built to showcase for display and sale.

"We plan to run the website (chitresanthe.org) for a month and stream discourses, debates and interactions between artists and fans, which are held otherwise offline when the event is live on the street," said Shankar.

The online art mart will also be hosted on social media platforms Youtube, Facebook and Instagram for a larger audience, worldwide.

"Modern and traditional artworks, including paintings of Mysore, Tanjore, Rajasthani, Madhubani and other schools will be on the website for viewing and buying along with sculptures and other art objects," said Shankar.

Artists can register for the online event www.karnatakachitrakalaparishath.com/chitra-santhe/.

"Parishath's five galleries will also showcase works of eminent artists from across the state, while the website will provide an online platform for professionals and amateur artists to display their artworks," added Shankar.