ARTS GALORE!
By Tanya Prakash Savkoor
Chitra Santhe (Art Market) is Bangalore’s most sought after annual art fest, that witnesses about thousands of people every year. In fact, Chitra Santhe 2020, held on January 5th, was the 17th edition of the exhibition, and managed to gather a huge crowd of art aficionados, within just a few minutes after the inauguration.
The day long fest is hosted by Chitrakala Parishat and is held in the month of January every year. The entire stretch of Kumar Krupa Road and its by-lanes are sealed off to traffic and are adorned by paintings, sketches and crafts by about thousands of artists and artisans from all over the country. It is indeed a colorful feast to the eyes.
It is a good opportunity to bring several forms of art together at one platform, outside the confines of a gallery or museum. This is probably why the festival attracts so many visitors, with every coming year.
“I find authentic artifacts here. Something that is so unique, that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.” stated Chandana, a law student from Bangalore and a fourth time visitor to the Santhe. Adding to it, she said “Even if you did find this stuff in shops, it is so overpriced. Which is why I prefer coming here, where vendors and selling such beautiful stuff and not too expensive”.
Subhajit Chattopadhyay, one of the artists from Kolkata, who had a stall at this year’s Santhe exclaimed that the environment at Chitra Santhe was so vibrant and exiting, that he could not express his joy. “It is such a different experience and it’s great to see so many people come along, to appreciate art. I could not believe that so many people would be here”, he said.
The products available at Chitra Santhe are not only attractive to the eye, but also help support traditional art and its underlying significance. Some of the art works are made with an intention to create awareness about topics like education, rural life, women’s safety, and more. On an average, the price of the products range from Rs. 100- Rs. 2000
Chitra Santhe is a fun-filled art festival, like no other. It offers inspiration and a whole new experience each year.
