Belagavi will soon have a hi-tech auditorium equipped, with the latest sound and light technology equipment, as the Rang Mandir at the Kannada Bhavan in Nehru Nagar off Kolhapur Road will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on December 27.
Bhavan administrative committee working president Prabhakar Kore, said the auditorium, built at a cost of ₹10 crore, will be open to theatre and other cultural activities of all organisations, irrespective of language.
The project has taken 19 years to be completed. “We had saved some money in the organisation of the Vishwa Kannada Sammelan in 2003. Following a suggestion by Patil Puttappa, we purchased 21 guntas of land. H.D. Kumaraswamy, then Chief Minister, laid the foundation stone in 2006. B.S.Yediyurappa released ₹6.3 crore. We raised ₹90 lakh in donations,” Mr. Kore said on Saturday.
To a query, Mr. Kore said that the bhavan administrative committee will build a theatre team of local artists. “We plan to build a repertory and organise training camps for college and school students. We will also organise State and national-level theatre festivals in Belagavi,” he said.
The three-storey building has some shops that can be given on rent, a lobby, office space, and a basement parking facility. It has six rooms for the short stay of artists, green rooms, and a large gallery, where small functions can be held.
Ramesh Banavara, technical consultant to the bhavan, said the latest sound and light technology equipment were installed. It is a 310-seater facility that can be expanded to 350 seats. It is completely air-conditioned and has automatic folding chairs, green rooms, German technology based screens, lighting and sound systems. The walls are perforated to ensure optimal reflection, he said.