Kannada Rajyotsava is the celebration of the formation of the state on the 1st of November, 1956. Karnataka is a beautiful state filled with tremendous culture and tradition. The formation day of Karnataka is where all the kannadigas, that is, the kannada speaking regions of South India were merged to form the state. This occasion is celebrated widely in various educational institutes in the state with cultural events and flag hoisting as a respect to the importance of the event.

Karnataka was originally called as the Mysore state in the nation from 1948 to 1956. The Maharaja, that is the King of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar agreed to become a part of India after independence and was chosen as the Rajpramukh of Mysore state from 1950 to 1956 as well as the Governor of the State. It was through the ‘State Reorganization Act’ that renamed the state of Mysore State to Karnataka on 1st of November. 1973. This act was first put out in the year 1956 where it merged parts of Coorg, Madras, Hyderabad, and Bombay into the Mysore State. When it was passed in the year 1973 on 1st of November, it was renamed as Karnataka with 19 districts under this state currently.

The formation of the state is celebrated annually on the 1st of November, as Kannada Rajyotsava. It is celebrated with the hoisting of the state flag, which is in the color red and yellow, along with the chants of the anthem (Jaya Bharatha Janaiya Tanujate). The celebrations also include the carrying of the multicolored tableaux along with performances of the folk artists and classic carnatic music. There is also the ‘Rajyotsava Award that is awarded on this day to the people who contribute to the development of the state. 

On this day, World Vegan Day is also celebrated across the world by vegans to raise awareness towards animal welfare as well as the benefits towards the environment. The term ‘Veganwas coined in the year 1944 by a small group of vegetarians who split from the Leicester vegetarian Society in England to create the Vegan Society. They had decided not to consume any products that were derived from animals, such as dairy, eggs, etc, as an addition to refraining from meat, as do vegetarians. ‘Vegan’ was derived by combining the first and last letters of ‘vegetarian’. 

Veganism is now defined as a way of lifestyle that works toward avoiding all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty in all its forms, clothing, food, or any other purpose it is used for.

Karnataka is known for its successful venture in the clothing sector and its greatest contribution towards the industry. Bangalore, a state in Karnataka has earned the moniker as ‘Garment Capital Of India. On this note, at JD Institute of Fashion Technology Bangalore, every student is taught to work towards the betterment of the environment and cruelty-free designs. In the year 2019, as a part of the final project JD Design Awards, alumnus Aishwarya Hemachandra who graduated in Advanced Diploma in Fashion Designing, created a collection made from Banana Cotton which consumes less water. The sturdiness of its fibres and the biodegradable properties of can and will pave a way to the replacement of cotton, which consumes nearly 20,000 litres of water to produce only 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of the fibre. The designer, Aishwarya Hemachandra sourced the banana fabric from Tenali, which is a village in Andhra Pradesh. This village shelters homes for victims of rape and acid attack surviours. These women extract the fibres from the banana plant and create products from it. Banana plants require minimum water for its cultivation and could eventually serve as a sustainable alternative. Her ombre dyeing technique was derived from the colors of the banana flower, with shades of pink, yellow, red, orange, and purple that added to the palette a lively and joyous vibe. 

Navarashtra Collection by Aishwarya Hemachandra using Banana plant fibre 

On the occasions of Kannada Rajyotsava and World Vegan Day, JD Institute encourages every kannadiga, to move and work towards a sustainable environment, by choosing to use and consume more of vegan based products. 

Kannada Rajyotsava And World Vegan Day, A Joyous Celebration