Bendre Beragu, an evening dedicated to the poetry of Bendre, attracted literature and music enthusiasts from all over the city.
| Photo Credit: THE HINDU
The month of Shravana brings a series of festivals and also memories of the beautiful poetry of Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre, the renowned Kannada poet better known as Da. Ra. Bendre. His poem “Shravana bantu kadige bantu nadige…” is a celebration of the spirit of the season. On Monday, Bengalore International Centre (BIC) in Domlur provided an opportunity for the people in the city to appreciate Bendre’s poetry. Bendre Beragu, an evening dedicated to Bendre’s poetry, saw literature and music enthusiasts from across the city participating in the event. The event featured a lecture concert by Dr. Basavaraja Kalgudi, followed by a musical rendition of Bendre’s poetry by Ramachandra Hadapad and Sparsha R.K.
The talk aimed to explore the intricate relationship between love and creativity in Bendre’s poetry.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU
Spirit of the timesThe talk aimed to explore the intricate relationship between love and creativity in Bendre’s poetry. Interacting with the audience at BIC, Dr. Kalgudi mentioned that Bendre created literature during a time when the Kannada language was seeking new forms of expression. “It was a time when there was a need to not only revive the language socially and educationally, but also elevate it to new levels of creativity as it was losing its presence between Marathi and Urdu in North Karnataka,” he said. Bendre’s poetry introduced a new language and style that were relevant to the era. Dr. Kalgudi emphasized that this new poetic language was not only essential for Bendre himself, but also for the surrounding society.
The event featured a lecture concert by Dr. Basavaraja Kalgudi.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU
Love and sufferingBendre’s affiliation with the native Bhakti tradition enabled him to create a new rhythm in his poetry, as he understood the significance of profound love. “For Bendre, life here is also paramartha. His poetry resonated with the essence of love in life. However, his poetry also acknowledged the challenges because he was aware of the immense suffering in this world,” explained Dr. Kalgudi. “Love in this temporal world can be achieved through the effective union of two principles. For Bendre, male and female, prakriti and purusha, are the two most important elements. His poetry illustrates that the source of creativity lies in the harmony between these elements. The question of what kind of essential touch is needed for words to become a poem is a deeply explored theme in Bendre’s poetry. The poet firmly believes that the origin of creativity is found in the companionship or intense love between male-female, prakrathi-purusha,” he added. Dr. Kalgudi also emphasized the influence of femininity in nature, which played a significant role in Bendre’s life and literary works, as well as in his personal life. “Bendre’s philosophy centers around the idea that the world is incomplete without a connection to nature. ‘The female,’ symbolizing nature, is a central and philosophically important element in his poetry. This sentiment is expressed by Bendre calling himself ‘Ambikatanaya Datta,’ which translates to Datta, son of Ambika,” Mr. Kalgudi added.
“For Bendre, life here is also paramartha. His poetry resonated with the essence of love in life,” says Dr. Kalgudi.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU
A musical treatThe event concluded with a musical rendition of Bendre’s poems by music director and singer Ramachandra Hadapad, singer and actor Sparsha R.K., accompanied by Dushyanth on the keyboard, Harish on the mandolin, Jaleel Pasha on tabla and percussion, and Shivamannu on the rhythm pad.
