Karnataka announces 10-day Unboxing Bengaluru Habba festival to showcase best of state capital

“In Kanakapura, we have been celebrating Kanakothsava’ for a long time. Lakhs of people participate in this event and over 50,000 households draw rangolis. It is important that several government agencies such as the police, BMRCL, BMTC and Bescom work together with other agencies and the people to make this a grand success,” he added.

Unboxing BLR Habba is envisaged as a privately enabled community and brand-building effort supported by the state government to showcase and celebrate the best of Bengaluru, according to the Unboxing BLR Foundation, the festival’s organisers.

In five years, the organisers expect UBH to become the go-to destination for visitors from the rest of the state, nation and South Asia in the first fortnight of December. They also believe the government’s launching the festival will cement Bengaluru’s place on the arts and culture calendar and strengthen the movement of Brand Bengaluru.

Siddaramaiah launches book

On the occasion, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched Unboxing Bengaluru: The City of New Beginnings, a book touted as a definitive exploration of Bengaluru’s transformation from a pensioner’s paradise to one of the world’s top tech hubs and leading economic engine of India.

Authored by Prashanth Prakash, an early-stage investor, and former journalist Malini Goyal, the book offers a contemporary narrative of Bengaluru’s multifaceted journey, delving deeply into the city’s history, evolution and emergence as India’s tech capital.

The authors also offer an insight into what attracts people to the city, how its cosmopolitan culture and multilingual society create a distinct flavour, and about the emergence of parallel economies. The book also discusses the impact of the influx of young workers into the city and highlights the challenges resulting from unplanned and poorly managed growth over the decades. It also demonstrates how Bengaluru is at the forefront of the numerous transformations underway in the digital era, from edtech to health tech to mobility to electric vehicles.

In a joint statement, Prakash and Goyal said, “Our book provides a deep, informed, and nuanced understanding of Bengaluru—a city that has been the anchor and inspiration for so many transformative ideas over several decades. The city’s residents and the many millions who visit the city have shaped its distinct ethos. We are confident the 600-plus interviews we’ve conducted, our research, and a plethora of engaging anecdotes, presented in an accessible and engaging manner, make this book an authoritative account of Bengaluru’s transformation.”