State govt to revive 1,500 Sevalal Centres to preserve Banjara culture

Bengaluru: A survey conducted by the state government has found that several Sevalal Cultural Centres across the state are in a dilapidated state. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has therefore launched a programme focussed on reviving 1500 of these centres in order to preserve the culture, art and traditional rituals of the Banjara community. The Karnataka State Tanda Development Corporation's survey found that nearly 45% of the existing centres of the Banjara, a nomadic community, were dilapidated, which is why the government is taking up this project. The government plans on investing Rs 112 crores over the next three years for the preservation of the Banjara's way of life and integrating them into the society, and will, therefore, sanction a maximum grant of Rs 10 lakhs for the construction of each cultural centre. There are around 1.1 million of the Banjara, a nomadic community that originated from Rajasthan known as the Lambani in Karnataka, living in the state. The government wants to help preserve the community's culture and art forms such as their dance, vajabhajans and other traditional rituals as well as practices. By reviving these cultural centres the CM hopes that the art and culture of the state will be revitalised and the rural economy will be improved. Deputy CM Dr G Parameshwara said that in order to ensure that Karnataka continues to be multicultural, tolerant and pluralistic, the government wants to the community to keep alive their age-old cultural traditions under the spiritual guidance of Sevalal Maharaj. Source: News Karnataka