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“Everybody loves a picnic in the sunshine. It was always so magical when we wore kids.” 

                                                                                                                    ——- Gregg Wallace

Happy picnic day to everyone!

Beautiful spots, delicious food, excellent company is what a picnic is all about. Picnics are a fun way to engage with friends. An outing like a picnic freshens us and creates a bond not only with friends but teaches also. Picnics help to alleviate the stress and outdoor play helps children to grow socially.

Grades 1 to 5 of BRS school Bidaraguppe went to a trip to Janapadaloka on 9th December 2022. It is situated in Ramanagara District on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway.  Janapadaloka – Folklore world is an interesting spot to visit. It is a treasure trove of Karnataka’s folk heritage. The concept of establishing a museum to exhibit the rich folk art and culture of Karnataka, was the brain-child of H.L Naga Gowda, a civil-servant by profession and also a folklorist, who after retirement, made it his lifetime goal.

An institution called the Karnataka Janapada Parishat was first established on 21st March 1979, with the object to promote, conserve, propagate and document Folk traditions of Karnataka. Under the aegis of this institution, Janapadaloka came to be established Spread over 15 acres Janapadaloka houses a museum, an open-air theatre, a studio and other related structures set amidst trees and greenery. On display are a variety of agricultural tools, hunting and fishing gear, weapons, household articles, masks and shadow puppets. The museum has a display of 5000 folk artifacts. The artifacts are kept in three buildings – Loka Mahal, Lokmaata mandira and Chitrakuteera. The museum is a replica of a traditional Karnataka village.

The children enjoyed the beautiful scenery on the way to Janapadaloka from school. They reached the place around 11 a.m. Bubbling with excitement they were ready to have a delightful day. The children were excited seeing the pet.

swans roaming about at the entrance. They were amazed with the shadow puppets, and a dancing statue. They were amazed seeing the temple chariot, oil milling, well and motor used in olden days. They learnt about the culture of Karnataka, viewing tools used in agriculture in olden times, rural household items, mud pots for storing grains, old hand-looms, Dussehra doll collections. Impressive sights were a stone sculpture of Lord Vishnu and a Folk dance Yakshagana statue. They also saw the Janapada library with a fantastic collection of books, Expressive paintings were spectacular and captivating.

The children were delighted with fun-games in the play area. They enjoyed sharing snacks and a variety of home-made food provided by the school. The picnic broke the monotony of the regular routine and the day was indeed a memorable one.