Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday danced the traditional Veeranna Kunitha at his village Siddaramanahundi. The local dance form is performed as part of the festivities for the deity in the village.

Interestingly, Siddaramaiah was named after the family deity Siddarameshwara. The former CM was seen dancing in perfect coordination with others, in a jubilant mood.

A young Siddaramaiah had earlier been part of a folk dance troupe. “Unlike many, I did not learn how to write on a slate, but on sand, under the guidance of my dance teacher,” Siddaramaiah had recalled, according to reports.

When asked about his childhood, he said that both of his parents never went to school, and that his father enrolled him in Veera Makkala Kunitha, a folk dance troupe in his village of Siddaramana Hundi. “Fortunately, during my spare time, one of my dance teachers taught me how to read and write Kannada. He taught me how to write in the sand. He taught me the alphabet, grammar, and much more in two years. It’s something I’ll never forget,” he had said.