Art, crowds & colour: Chitra Santhe returns to Bengaluru | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: Art lovers thronged Kumara Krupa Road in central Bengaluru Sunday as the annual Chitra Santhe returned, turning the stretch around Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (CKP) into a sprawling open-air gallery.The 23rd edition of the art fair offered works across price ranges, from pieces valued in the lakhs to sketches priced at Rs 100. Paintings shared space with wood carvings, paper and sand art, ceramics, and 3D works. Portraits of women and deities dominated several stalls, while visitors lined up for caricatures, sketches, and live portraits drawn on the streets.Chief minister Siddaramaiah, after inaugurating the event — marking his eighth time doing so — said: “Art reflects the culture of the state. For 60 years, CKP has encouraged artists and created platforms for showcasing and selling their work.” For many Bengalureans, the Santhe provided a pause from routine city life. Visitors said such cultural experiences are rare and often limited to a few dates each year.“We were so bored of always hanging out in malls. Today, we really enjoyed the paintings here, some of them looked so real,” said Ganashree, Soumya, and Vedha, postgraduate students attending the fair for the first time. “Even non-artists get inspired by events like this. Bengaluru needs more such spaces.”Photography enthusiasts found equal appeal in the people behind the art. “When I capture art here, it’s not just the piece, it’s about the people and their stories,” said Parashar Vyas, a 33-year-old engineer from Ramamurthy Nagar.Several visitors described Chitra Santhe as a rare platform where artists directly engage with buyers. An art collector, who bought three high-value works and declined to be named, said artists often don’t receive fair returns when their work moves through commercial galleries. “We need to value the effort and intricacy here the same way we value art displayed in fancy galleries,” he said.The fair also drew visitors from outside the city and abroad. Vishali, who travelled to Bengaluru from Melbourne, said the event offers a direct window into the city’s art scene. “Walking through these streets itself is an experience. You see every kind of art and meet the artists personally.”Regular attendees included Pune-based Bageshree Ksheerasagar, who visits each year with her sisters to support their nephew’s stall. “Every piece here feels different. Even the abstract art is impressive,” she said.The fair extended across parts of Crescent Road and surrounding streets, featuring 1,530 stalls by artists from 22 states and four UTs. The day-long event, held from 8am to 8pm, drew around 6 lakh visitors, with artworks worth approximately Rs 3 crore being sold.