The World Vokkaliga Association had organised the festival at the Talkatora stadium here to make people in the capital aware of the contribution of Kempegowda, a feudatory ruler during the Vijayanagar empire, in building Bengaluru in the fifteenth century as a planned city.
The Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Anant Kumar, who addressed the gathering pointed out that Kempe Gowda had constructed more than 300 ponds around Bengaluru.
The concluding function was addressed by former Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Dr M. Veerappa Moily, Karnataka Power Minister D. K. Shiva Kumar, and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike President T.A. Narayana Gowda.
The Kempegowda Festival here saw the participation of over a thousand people of the Gowda community from Bangalore , who presented folk dance items, dresses and music.
Among those honoured on the final day were Jayaram Banana, E.C. Vidya Sagar, B. L. Suresh , K. V. Shankarappa and Manje Gowda.
The festival also saw the participation of Kumar Chandrashekarnth Swamyji , the head of the World Vokkaliga Mutt, Manjavavadhoot Swamiji of Spatikapur Mutt, Thontadarya Swamiji of Gadag, Vishweshteera Swamiji of Pejavar and Nirmalananda Swamiji of Adichunchungiri.
The organisers of the festival plan to have similar festivals organised in other parts of the world to make people aware of the contribution of Kempegowda in building Bengaluru as a planned city.
