CM DK Shivakumar Honours Kempegowda, Felicitates Rajyotsava Awardee
Synopsis
Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar garlanded the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda statue at Hariyabba village in Hiriyur taluk and felicitated Rajyotsava Award-winning theatre artist G.D. Thimmaiah, with ministers and MLAs present at the post-Rajyotsava ceremony.
Key Takeaways
DK Shivakumar paid floral tribute to the statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda — founder of Bengaluru in 1537 — at Hariyabba village in Hiriyur taluk .
Thimmaiah , a Kannada Rajyotsava Award recipient, was formally felicitated at the event.
The ceremony followed Kannada Rajyotsava on 1 November , Karnataka's annual state-formation day.
Raghumurthi , MLA Dr.
Ranganath , and Congress leader Suhas Sudhakar were among dignitaries present.
The event reflects Karnataka's pattern of taking Rajyotsava tributes to rural districts beyond Bengaluru.
In the village of Hariyabba in Hiriyur taluk, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar garlanded the statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda — the 16th-century chieftain who founded Bengaluru — and felicitated theatre artist G.D. Thimmaiah, a recipient of the Kannada Rajyotsava Award, on Tuesday, 3 November 2026.
A salute to Bengaluru's founder, carried to Chitradurga's countryside
The ceremony unfolded just days after Kannada Rajyotsava — Karnataka's state-formation day, observed every 1 November — keeping the spirit of the celebrations alive in Hiriyur. Shivakumar paid floral tributes at the Kempegowda statue, honouring a figure who looms large in the Kannada cultural imagination: the chieftain who in 1537 laid the foundations of what would become India's technology capital.
G.D. Thimmaiah's stage legacy gets its moment
Sharing the spotlight was G.D. Thimmaiah, a Kannada Rajyotsava Award-winning theatre artist from the region. His felicitation placed rangabhoomi — the Kannada theatrical tradition — at the centre of the public event, a pointed reminder that the state's cultural honours extend well beyond urban stages to practitioners rooted in rural Karnataka.
Ministers and MLAs alongside at Hariyabba
The event drew a cross-section of elected representatives. Minister T. Raghumurthi, MLA Dr. H.D. Ranganath, and Congress leader Suhas Sudhakar were present, alongside other public representatives and dignitaries — a line-up that underlined the dual function of such ceremonies: cultural tribute and constituent outreach in the same breath.
Point of View
Felicitating regional artists — as a reliable mechanism to reinforce Kannada cultural identity while building grassroots visibility for the ruling party. Shivakumar's appearance in a small Chitradurga village rather than a Bengaluru auditorium signals a deliberate push to carry the Rajyotsava narrative into the hinterland, where the Congress seeks to consolidate support. Honouring a rural theatre practitioner alongside a founding icon of the state fuses legacy symbolism with a tangible acknowledgement of Karnataka's vernacular arts ecosystem — a combination that plays well across caste and community lines. Watch for similar events rippling through other districts in the days following 1 November as the government extends the festive goodwill window.
NationPress
3 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nadaprabhu Kempegowda and why is he significant to Karnataka?
Nadaprabhu Kempegowda was a 16th-century chieftain who founded Bengaluru in 1537 and is celebrated as a defining figure of Karnataka's regional and cultural identity. His statues across the state are regular sites of official tribute, especially around Kannada Rajyotsava.
What is the Kannada Rajyotsava Award?
The Kannada Rajyotsava Award is a state honour given by the Karnataka government each year on 1 November to individuals who have made significant contributions to Kannada language, culture, literature, arts, and other fields.
Where is Hariyabba village and which district does it fall in?
Hariyabba is a village in Hiriyur taluk , which falls under Chitradurga district in central Karnataka.
Who is G.D. Thimmaiah?
G.D. Thimmaiah is a Karnataka-based theatre (rangabhoomi) artist who has been recognised with the Kannada Rajyotsava Award for his contributions to Kannada stage performance.
When is Kannada Rajyotsava celebrated and what does it commemorate?
Kannada Rajyotsava is observed on 1 November every year to mark the 1956 unification and formation of the state of Karnataka on linguistic lines.
