Led by the United Nations Environment Programme, World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5 to highlight the state of the climate crisis. Bengaluru witnesses an earth festival, Bhoomi Habba around the same time to encourage eco-conscious and organic lifestyles within the city and otherwise.
Entering its 15th edition, the festival this year will focus on the theme of #OnlyOneEarth and bring music, films, exhibitions, art and theatre workshops and more under one roof. We speak to Mercy Kappen, the executive director of Visthar who is also the curator of the event on what to expect from the day-long festival. She shares that Bhoomi Habba, much like every year, will host new and lesser-heard names that promote an eco-aesthetic.
Apart from that, the festival promises interactive workshops and films to keep the attendees engaged. “There will be short films on ecological issues that concern all of us locally and globally. While one short film high- lights the work of Hasiru Dala — the Waste Warriors of Bengaluru, another shows the creativity that created the music of the Landfill Harmonic in Latin America,” Mercy reveals. “There will also be events around community painting, storytelling, Warli art, handmade paper making, trash to toys and doll exhibitions throughout the day,” she adds.
Traditional North Karnataka Khanavali cuisine will be one of the key offerings this year. Alongside, visitors will also get to relish delicacies from the shores of Kerala, the mountains of North East India and everything in between, Mercy shares. Eco-conscious in ethos and spirit, Mercy confirms that Bhoomi Habba will be celebrated across Karnataka in the coming years because it has an important message to share and it is vital to be heard.
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