Bengaluru: witnessed the revival of a centuries-old tradition on Wednesday as the three-day Bandi Devara Utsava began with community participation and cultural pride. The festival, associated with the agrarian traditions of the Vokkaliga community, is being observed on a public platform after being confined to private family rituals for years. Organisers said the event aims to reconnect younger generations with ancestral customs and highlight the cultural symbols that have long shaped the identity of the Vokkaligas. The festival will culminate on Kempegowda Jayanthi, which commemorates the birth anniversary of the city’s founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.

Jayaram Raipura, a senior IRS officer and honorary president of the festival committee, described the event as more than just a celebration. “This is a cultural movement. What was once an individual household ritual is now a unifying public celebration. Kempegowda’s people-centric legacy continues to inspire us,” he said. The bullock cart, central to the Bandi Devara tradition, took symbolic centre stage. Recalling an incident where an elderly woman refused to donate her family’s cart due to its sacred significance, Raipura said, “It’s more than transport. It’s a cultural heirloom that speaks to our history.”

Plans are in the works to establish a museum dedicated to Vokkaliga heritage, where bullock carts will be a key feature. Dr. Talakadu Chikkarangegowda, festival committee president, said the inaugural day featured the ‘Sihi Hanchuva’ programme, with traditional sweet distribution scheduled during the procession on Thursday.

The president of the Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha, B. Kenchappagowda, urged the community to embrace the festival with renewed enthusiasm. “This is about preserving and honouring our cultural roots. We must continue the Bandi Devara festival with greater grandeur each year,” he said.

On Thursday, the formal inauguration will be held in front of the BBMP head office, followed by a procession of 12 decorated bullock carts.

The route will pass through Hudson Circle, the Central Library, the High Court, and Gopal Gowda Circle, before concluding at the Kempegowda statue near Vidhana Soudha, where rituals and Arati will be performed.