While many know Congress veteran and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah as a fierce legislator, a surprising side of him — Siddaramaiah, the folk artist — emerges from time to time. In the latest instance, a video of him performing a folk dance at his native village of Siddaramana Hundi in Mysuru along with other residents, is being widely shared.
The video shows Siddaramaiah, along with a group of men who are reportedly his childhood friends, on the night of Thursday, March 24, when the legislator had gone back to his hometown for the annual ‘jaathre’ or festival. They are seen performing a choreographed folk dance while they and others around them are heard singing. The video also shows a massive crowd gathered around the group, along with Siddaramaiah’s security detail, watching the performance unfold.
In Wednesday's Assembly session, Siddaramaiah spoke about his attachment to his village, where he had gone to attend the three-day Siddarameshwara festival. He reportedly spoke fondly about the connection between his name, his father’s name (Siddaramegowda), and their family deity Siddarameshwara, while responding to MLA and Minister of Minor Irrigation JC Madhuswamy. In the past as well, Siddaramaiah has spoken about his roots as a folk artist, and how he used to be part of a dance troupe that would perform the ‘Janapada Kunitha’ folk dance.
Watch Siddaramaiah perform at the Siddaramanna Hundi 'jaathre':
Former CM and leader of Opposition @siddaramaiah dancing with his childhood friends at his native village Siddaramayyana hundi in Mysuru on Thursday night. It can be noted he has learnt Veera Makkala Kunitha, folk dance form when he was young.@santwana99 @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/XtI59uapV5
— Ashwini M Sripad/ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ ಎಂ ಶ್ರೀಪಾದ್ (@AshwiniMS_TNIE) March 25, 2022
The former Karnataka Chief Minister has also mentioned in interviews that as a child, his parents did not encourage him to formally learn education and focus instead on learning the arts. However, it was one of his dance teachers who taught him to read and write in Kannada. Instead of a slate, the teacher would help Siddaramaiah learn the alphabet and grammar by writing them on sand. “In two years, he taught me the alphabet, grammar and much more. It is something I can never forget,’’ Siddaramaiah said, according to The New Indian Express.