Not Just a Celebration, But a Movement: How Chilume Ravikumar Reimagined 516th Bengalurina Janakana Janmotsava

The Hindu

08-07-2025

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 30: In the heart of Karnataka's capital, a remarkable shift occurred this year in the way Kempegowda Jayanthi, the birth anniversary of Bengaluru's founder, was celebrated. While most government-led functions continued the tradition of stage speeches and ceremonial garlands, Chilume Ravikumar, a young Vokkaliga leader and rising civic voice, chose a different path—one that honoured Kempegowda's legacy through action, public involvement, and cultural awakening.
Under the banner of the Chilume Ravikumar Foundation, a three-day series of public events unfolded across Bengaluru, capturing the imagination of its citizens and bringing new life to an often-overlooked historic commemoration. Rather than limiting the tribute to a single stage event, Ravikumar's vision expanded it across the city—into its streets, landmarks, and public memory.
The celebrations began on June 24 with a powerful act of service—Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Samadhi Parisara Shuddhi Abhiyana, a mass cleaning drive at the Samadhi of Kempegowda. Well before sunrise, volunteers and local residents gathered at the site, joined by NSS/NCC units and civic organizations. Wearing gloves and holding reusable brooms and bags, the crowd stood unified by purpose. After a short welcome briefing, Chilume Ravikumar addressed the group, stating, 'To truly honour Kempegowda, we must first care for what he built. Let this be a symbol of the city we want to protect.' He then flagged off the cleaning drive, which ran till mid-morning and concluded with a collective pledge to follow the founder's ideals of civic discipline, environmental respect, and shared responsibility.
The following day, June 25, saw the city bloom in tribute through Pushpārchane Namana, a floral homage to Kempegowda's statues and memorial towers. From Kempegowda International Airport to Lalbagh Tower, Hudson Circle, Vidhan Soudha, KIMS Hospital, and Gavi Gangadeshwara Temple, groups of citizens, students, and cultural performers gathered at each site. Floral garlands, folk music, and spontaneous public expressions filled the air. There were no central speeches or chief guests—just people honouring the founder of their city in their own heartfelt way. 'This feels like how our festivals used to be—more about meaning than media,' said one participant near the Vidhan Soudha statue.
The most spiritually resonant moment came on the evening of June 27, with Nadaprabhuge Deepa Namana, a symbolic lighting of 516 oil lamps—each representing a year since Kempegowda's birth. Held at his Samadhi, the space was transformed with deepa mandalas, rangoli art, flowers, and traditional music. Ravikumar lit the central Deepa Stambha, followed by Swamijis and community elders. Attendees were handed traditional home lamps and invited to write personal messages on pledge cards labeled 'This Lamp Is For...' Many wrote tributes to the city, their families, or their hopes for a better Bengaluru. 'This lamp is for my daughter's future,' one mother wrote. Another card read, 'This is for a city without garbage and with greenery.'
The event concluded with Kannada poetry recitations, folk songs, and a collective group chant of 'Namma Kempegowda, Namma Hemme' (Our Kempegowda, Our Pride), which echoed across the site. More than a ceremony, it was a renewal—a shared promise to uphold the values that built the city.
But perhaps the most memorable chapter of the celebration was reserved for the streets of Avenue Road, where a symbolic reenactment of Bengaluru's founding took place later that night. In a beautifully choreographed tribute, 64 placard-holders formed a human circle representing the old Pete layout—Bengaluru's original township grid. A bullock cart procession symbolized the land survey of the time, while four volunteers raised flags in four cardinal directions, representing the construction of the city's iconic Gopuras (towers). As drums and native flutes played, Chilume Ravikumar performed a Bhoomi Pooja—a recreation of the moment Kempegowda envisioned the city.
The entire stretch of Avenue Road became a stage where history was not just remembered, but relieved. Drone cameras captured the aerial spectacle while crowds stood mesmerized on the ground. Children asked questions, grandparents shared stories, and for a moment, Bengaluru's 16th-century origins felt alive in the present.
What made this year's celebration truly stand out was not just its scale or symbolism, but its sincerity. Chilume Ravikumar did not centre the events around himself, but around the people. He offered a model of leadership that stepped aside to let the city and its citizens take centre stage.
A youth icon rising rapidly through the ranks of Karnataka's cultural and civic spheres, Ravikumar's approach is rooted in development with identity—a balance between progress and heritage. His vision for public service goes beyond political ambition, focusing instead on creating spaces for people to connect, act, and reflect. By reimagining Kempegowda Jayanthi as a participatory public movement, he has set a new benchmark for cultural celebrations that resonate at both emotional and civic levels.
For a city as dynamic and diverse as Bengaluru, this year's Kempegowda Jayanthi was more than an event —it was a homecoming. A return to the founder's values, to the spirit of shared growth, and to the pride of belonging to a city built on vision.
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