Bengaluru Santhe loses its sheen, activists seek revival

BENGALURU: It’s been over seven years since Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) opened Bengaluru Santhe near Swami Vivekananda Metro Station to encourage rural artisans and promote folk and fine arts. But the initiative has received a tepid response, mainly due to poor awareness.
Activists working with artisans say the corporation should make efforts to revive the Santhe by roping in organisations with an understanding of craft.

Of the 67 stalls at the marketplace, only 16 are functional. “Of the 16, only a handful open every day. Around 30 stalls were functional before the pandemic struck, but poor sales are forcing many sellers to shut shop,” said a BMRCL official.

However, many artisans are now pinning their hopes on the vocal-for-local and Atmanirbhar Bharat campaigns and are seeking government support to stay afloat. Amudha M, a shopkeeper who sells Channapatna toys at the Santhe, said: “Business is very dull as hardly anyone visits the stalls. Awareness campaigns should be held and we should get financial assistance. We don’t know how long we will survive here.”

Prasanna Heggodu, founder of Grama Seva Sangh, an NGO that works closely with rural artisans, said: “We are ready to work with BMRCL to revive the Santhe. They should engage organisations and individuals who understand craft. It’s completely different from running a government department.” He claimed Dilli Haat was popular since Jaya Jaitly, founder of Dastkaari Haat Samiti, started it, but it’s charm waned after government agencies became involved.

Priya Chetty Rajagopal of Heritage Beku, said: “This is a great initiative but not many people know about it. The authorities could conduct exhibitions on craft, food and architecture at the Santhe. We’ll be happy to engage with them.” She added that BMRCL along with departments like tourism and Kannada and culture should support the initiative.

In May 2013, BMRCL inaugurated Bengaluru Santhe (on the lines of New Delhi’s Dilli Haat) and conducted some events till April 2018 before eventually losing interest. A Facebook page titled ‘Bangalore Santhe-Vivekananda Metro’ shows hardly any events have been conducted since then. BMRCL charges a rent of Rs 100-Rs 400 depending on the shop size and 5% of the tenants’ revenue for maintenance.
Revival plan on paper
BMRCL had roped in the rural development and panchayat raj department and skill development department to revive the space but the plan remains on paper. “Bengaluru Santhe was designed to provide a glimpse of village life and protect the livelihood of artisans across the state. Earlier, many shops sold rural products of Karnataka, including handmade jewellery, clothes and food items. The idea of Bengaluru Santhe and Rangoli Metro Art Center was ‘placemaking’ so that commuters could explore these places. Officials should think beyond their regular routines and encourage such initiatives,” said a former BMRCL official who was involved in these projects.
Sidhanth Sawkar of Spitfire BBQ Truck, who conducted a food truck festival at the Santhe between 2015 and 2018, said: “The space holds great potential. We could draw around 2,500 people a day during the festival and mainly used social media to publicise it.”