Aug 07 2026 to Aug 07 2026 6:30 p.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

A king’s name kept alive in a chorus, a coconut flower tied at the waist, this is a tradition few outsiders have ever seen. Shri Vijendra and troupe bring Hounderayana Valaga, one of Coastal Karnataka’s rarest ritual performance traditions, to the stage in a lecture-demonstration including the oral history, and the full performance.

Preserved today by only a handful of communities, the tradition carries the memory of King Houndarasa of Barkur and surfaces at specific, ritual moments during Karthika month, at Tulasi Pooja, and community vows (harake). Scholars have linked the music and movement to royal heritage, Varuna worship, and the nuanced coastal cultural practices. The evening explores the tradition’s six Sandhis, the costume — white dhoti, turban, ankle bells, coconut flower at the waist — and the recurring refrain, “Hounderayana Valaga, Houndeya Govinda.”

Audience members are invited to learn and sing the signature chorus at the close of the session, joining in the communal essence the tradition is built on. A Q&A with the artists follows the performance, opening into a wider conversation on preserving an endangered oral tradition and how it is passed down across generations.

This performance is the eighth edition of the BIC Jaanapada series.

BIC Jaanapada is a series, programmed every two months, celebrating Karnataka’s folk traditions through the lens of regional identity and cultural preservation. Curated in collaboration with Tvarita Arts Collective India, the program combines scholarly discourse with live performances to explore the deep connections between geography and artistic expression. Through demonstrations, performances, and academic discussions, each session examines how landscape and local culture have shaped these distinct artistic practices.

In collaboration with:

Venue: Auditorium
Performers

Gurumaruti Hounderayana Janapada Nritya Tanda
Troupe