CM Siddaramaiah Hails Students at 71st Kannada Rajyotsava
Synopsis
On Karnataka's 71st Rajyotsava, CM D K Shivakumar praised government school students who performed a disciplined march-past at Kanteerava Stadium, recalled his own childhood attendance at the same venue fifty years ago, and directed officials to include the students in the 2027 Dasara parade.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka observed its 71st Kannada Rajyotsava on 1 November 2026 at Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru .
Government school students performed a disciplined, artistic march-past at the celebration.
CM D K Shivakumar offered congratulations to students, teachers, and parents for the performance.
Shivakumar recalled attending the same Rajyotsava at Kanteerava as a child fifty years ago .
The CM has already instructed officials to prepare these students for the 2027 Dasara Mahotsava parade in Mysuru.
The directive signals an administrative effort to link youth cultural participation across Karnataka's major state festivals.
The fragrance of siri Kannada — the glory of the Kannada language — and the energy of hundreds of young marchers filled Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, on Sunday, 1 November 2026, as Karnataka marked its 71st Kannada Rajyotsava with a disciplined, artistic parade by government school students. The Chief Minister's Office of Karnataka, conveying a message from Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, offered heartfelt congratulations to every student who performed on the day — and then went further, issuing a directive that their talents must not stop here.
Posting in Kannada, CM Shivakumar wrote: 'ಸಿರಿಗನ್ನಡದ ಕಂಪು, ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಉತ್ಸಾಹದ ಇಂಪು' — 'the fragrance of glorious Kannada, the melody of children's enthusiasm' — before extending his 'wholehearted congratulations' to the government school students who showcased 'wonderful artistry and disciplined march-past' at the celebration. He also reserved special thanks for the teachers who shaped these young talents and the parents who stood behind them.
A CM's Childhood Echoed at Kanteerava
What gave the message its unusual warmth was a personal turn. CM Shivakumar recalled that roughly fifty years ago, he himself walked into this same stadium as a child to attend the Rajyotsava — standing exactly where today's students stood. 'Then I was in your place; today I stand before you as a prajaasevaka — a servant of the people,' he wrote. It is a rare kind of political reflection: not campaign biography, but generational continuity made visible in a single venue across half a century.
Students Directed Towards the 2027 Dasara Parade
The Chief Minister made clear the performance at Kanteerava was not meant to be a one-time showcase. He has already instructed officials to prepare the same government school students for inclusion in the Dasara Mahotsava parade of 2027 — Karnataka's other great state festival, held annually in Mysuru. 'Your disciplined and artistic performance must not remain limited to this stage,' he said, urging the students to ready themselves for the Dasara procession as well.
The directive links two of Karnataka's biggest public celebrations through a single cohort of young performers — a deliberate administrative signal that youth cultural participation is being institutionalised across the state calendar, not treated as an annual one-off. Follow-up orders from the education and cultural departments on logistics and selection are expected in the months ahead.
CM Shivakumar closed with a blessing that carries the weight of the day: 'May you march the path of knowledge, scale the peaks of achievement, and fly Karnataka's flag of glory ever higher.' On a day built on memory and pride, that is the kind of line a state remembers.
Point of View
CM Shivakumar is doing something subtly strategic: converting a ceremonial moment into an ongoing institutional programme. Successive Karnataka governments have used Rajyotsava parades to build civic identity, but formally bridging Rajyotsava and Dasara through a single youth participation pipeline is a meaningful administrative step, not mere rhetoric. The personal childhood anecdote adds a cross-generational legitimacy that is harder to manufacture — it frames him not as a politician addressing children but as someone who once stood in their place. The question going forward is whether the education and cultural departments deliver on the logistics, or whether the directive stays a warm post.
NationPress
1 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kannada Rajyotsava and when is it celebrated?
Kannada Rajyotsava, also called Karnataka Rajyotsava or Karnataka Formation Day, is celebrated every year on 1 November to mark the formation of the state of Karnataka on 1 November 1956, when Kannada-speaking regions were unified into a single state.
What did CM DK Shivakumar say about Kannada Rajyotsava 2026?
CM D K Shivakumar congratulated government school students who performed a disciplined march-past at Kanteerava Stadium during the 71st Rajyotsava, thanked their teachers and parents, recalled his own childhood visits to the same venue fifty years ago, and directed officials to include the students in the 2027 Dasara parade.
Where was the 71st Kannada Rajyotsava main event held?
The main event was held at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru , a historic venue that has hosted state-level sports, parades, and cultural celebrations including Rajyotsava for decades.
Why did CM Shivakumar direct students to participate in the Dasara parade?
CM Shivakumar said the students' disciplined and artistic performance 'must not remain limited to this stage' and has instructed officials to prepare them for the 2027 Dasara Mahotsava parade , linking Karnataka's two biggest state festivals through the same group of young performers.
What is the significance of Dasara Mahotsava in Karnataka?
Dasara Mahotsava , centred in Mysuru , is one of Karnataka's grandest annual festivals, featuring traditional parades, cultural processions, and a decorated elephant march. It is a major showcase of the state's heritage and draws visitors from across India.
