Rashme Hegde Gopi is following her dream

She could well have sold the expansive space to some real estate magnate and retired quietly to a cosy existence, like her friends advised. But as Rashme Hegde Gopi eloquently puts it, “I felt that there was a need to create a cultural sanctum to foster the rich, traditional Indian arts. A place where I could create wealth of a different kind,” she says. And in Shankaraa, spread over four acres, Rashme has successfully done that.

Abstract to concrete 
From an abstract idea that struck her one day while asleep, the Shankaraa Foundation became an eventuality in 2002. Prior to Shankaraa, Rashme focused her efforts on her dance and more largely, on Rudraksha — a centre that emerged in the 90s as the city’s cultural hub. 

She recalls, “In the 90s, when there were not many places to go to, Rudraksha became a big hit. It was the time of the first IT boom and Indian CEOs would get foreign delegates and visitors to the centre. We had bullock carts and elephants welcoming them, we would showcase local performances like the Dollu kunitha performances.” In short, “we offered foreign visitors to the city, India in a nutshell.”

But while the venture proved viable and had become a talking point, sheer exhaustion and the fact that “there was nothing to look forward to” that had Rashme looking at other ventures to plunge into. “That is how Shankaraa happened,” she avers. Why the traditional arts space? “I have grown up seeing them; I have been tuned to them since I was three,” she reasons.

All under one roof
The Shankaraa Foundation takes its claim of being ‘a tribute to creative expression’ quite seriously. That it strives to keep all forms of arts and crafts alive, from dance, music, to pottery, embroidery and sculpting is what pits Shankaraa as quite different from the other culture spaces in the city, such as RangaShankara or Jagriti. As Rashme shares, “I wanted to set up a centre for all arts.”

“We are an NGO for arts,” she succinctly states. The centre is home to Poorvaranga, Shankaraa’s Academy for Traditional arts; Rangagucha, a space that seeks to expose both urban and rural underprivileged kids to the varied traditional arts; Hastanjali, the council for crafts is a centre that trains artisans from around the country in various handicrafts; Nakshatra, a cafe and the Bhoomandala, the stage for all cultural events Shankaraa hosts.

The journey, however, hasn’t been an easy one. From land disputes to lack of funds to red tapism, Rashme has seen and braved it all.  “When things become difficult, you learn to swim,” she nonchalantly reasons. And verily, amidst swimming against tides, she’s seen some successes too. For instance, Poorvaranga, that imparts courses in music, dance, yoga and kalari is affiliated to IGNOU and offers a Masters Degree in Bharatanatyam too. Hastanjali on the other hand is a State initiated Design Centre (SIDC).

There are many, many more ideas and plans brimming in that head of hers. From setting an archive for the arts and crafts to reviving Hegde-Golay, a company that was set up by her father, Shankar Hegde, as a handicraft company, to reaching out to the world about Shankaraa, there’s a lot more she wants to achieve.

Life’s purpose
“It’s taken me nine years to get it to where it is today without any government assistance,” Rashme explains. You wonder if that is probably the reason why Shankaraa is still in the reckoning to be recognised as a prominent cultural space in the city. The Soma festival of Arts was the first extensive cultural programme held within Shankaraa’s premises. And that just be the beginning, because as Rashme promises, “I have been doing too many things at one time. But now, I have decided that Shankaraa will be my one-point focus for the next few years.”

Focusing her energies on sustaining the centre is her current prerogative. Rightly so, because in her mind’s eye, “Shankaraa is going to be forever and if I keep it going, my life’s purpose is fulfilled.”