Bards, musicians, dancers, readers etc. unite in Bengaluru to celebrate poetry
From Shankar Mahadevan to Varun Grover, Bengaluru honored the art of poetry this weekend
Over the weekend, Bengaluru was host to poetry enthusiasts from around the country for the eighth edition of Bengaluru Poetry Festival (BPF). Bringing together poets from various languages such as English, Kannada, Hindi, Gujarati and more, the festival served as one-stop spot for all things poetry!
Co-founder of the festival Subodh Sankar shares, “We had about 2,000 attendees on the first day, August 3, and while the first-half of the second day was a bit slow, it picked up and we could match the footfall of the first day. This year's festival was a great experience and we learnt a lot of things to ensure that the coming years are smoother for everyone involved.”
From Tamil actor M Nasser speaking about his favorite poetries to Gujarati poet Saumya Joshi speaking on the success of Khalasi, poet Jeet Thayil's biblical take on poetics and the discussions of India's celebrated poets such as Kabir, Sahir Ludhianvi, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and more, there was something for everyone. The festival witnessed over 50 participants and speakers from across art forms - poetry, music, dance, acting and more. It also featured a bookstore and a space for workshops where an introduction to writing and understanding poetry was discussed alongsie other activities.
Having attended for the first time, folk singer and actor Ila Arun shares, “When they approached me to speak, I was hesitant as I didn't feel like I would be the right fit. However, they told me that they're navigating the connection of poetry to other art forms such as music and that's when I believed I could fit in. I've written a lot of music over the years and I've even written some poetry, but mainly for myself. I read out three of my poems to the audience during my session. I really enjoyed the festival and it's really wonderful that they've diverse in their approach to poetry, be it in terms of languages or genres and even a wide range of art forms.”
Author Ashis Ghatak, who was in conversation with composer Shankar Mahadevan at the event, shares, “This is my first time at BPF. Poetry is usually sidelined in literature festival and it's only a festival like this that helps keep it alive. I really enjoyed the live music sessions that took place and folk singer Ila Arun's session!”
G Ravikiran, a carnatic musician, shares, “My session was all about navigating poetry and music through the works of the 19th century composer Muthuswamy Dikshitar. It is my first time at BPF, I've always heard things about it from some of my friends from the dance community and I really enjoy the vibe of the festival. I personally enjoyed the sessions that explored the works of 14th century poet Kabir.”
BPF was not just for adults but also for children as they hosted the Children's Poetry Festival (CPF) on the side as well. Storyteller Vikram Shridhar shares, “CPF has received a wonderful reception this year. The footfall was more than that of last year's too. We have had students come in from different schools and a constant flow of kids along with their parents as well. This year we had some different concepts as well, such as a magic show, musicals, performance-based acts and even workshops where we make instruments for the children. It goes beyond poetry but introduces the kids to the art form at the same time.”
The festival also witnessed a varied demographic in terms of attendees. Bharat Ramamurthy, a poet enthusiast who flew in from Zurich to attend the festival, shares, “The festival has a very wide literary and cultural ambience to offer. I love it and I'm struck by the level of intellect that exists in the readers' community here. I sat in on sessions that I knew nothing of but I took away a lot with me and have learnt many new things.”
Devi Sastry, a teacher and aspiring poet, says, “I've attended BPF before and what keeps bringing me back is the fact that I'm an aspiring poet and I like being around like-minded people and also learn more about the traditions of poetry that exist in Indian languages. I really enjoyed poets Ranjit Hoskote and Jeet Thayil's sessions but I love that if I just hang around and catch some sessions that I wasn't even planning on, they end up being insightful and I always learn something new.”