Bengaluru’s villa community celebrates Republic Day with cultural showcase

BENGALURU: It is usually the game nights, fitness classes, or kids' playdates that serve as the social anchor of community life in gated villa communities that are dotted by HNIs (high net-worth individuals). But Monday turned out to special — and different — for the residents of Adarsh Palm Retreat (APR) villa community in Bellandur, as nationalism and patriotism rode high and brought the community together.

The 750-plus villa neighbourhood, which is home for some of the city's top corporate executives and businessmen, celebrated Republic Day in a unique way: the residents converted their otherwise silent streets into a vibrant showcase of India's cultural diversity. For the first time, they took out a parade in groups, representing their respective home states.


"We are a cosmopolitan neighbourhood, people from different parts of the country have settled here. We chose to celebrate Republic Day in a grand way to promote the spirt of unity," said Vijayakumar Raghavendran, president of APR Villa Owners' Welfare Association.

The day began with a flag-hoisting ceremony, followed by the singing of the national anthem, patriotic songs, and then the march. Punjabi dancers set a lively rhythm with thumping dhols, Assam highlighted Mekhela Chadors and bamboo Jaapis, Gujarat brought Garba, kites, and Gandhi tributes, Odisha celebrated Rath Yatra and folk dances, while residents from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh added their own monuments, puppetry, and classical performances.

The march blended sights, sounds, and stories from across the country, with children performing folk and classical dances to close out the procession.

The states that participated were Punjab, Assam, Gujarat, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.