Eminent artistes from India and abroad performed at the three-day ‘Indraprastha Nritya Mahotsav’, which concluded on Sunday at the historic Purana Qila in the national capital, an official said.
Organised by the Delhi Tourism Department, the festival was held from October 2 to 4 on the theme ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi’. Performances were held daily from 6.30 p.m., was entry free for the public.
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra said hosting the festival at Purana Qila was a special initiative that brought together the city’s historical heritage and India’s rich cultural traditions.
He said the festival was being organised for the second time and, following discussions with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, efforts would be made to organise and promote such cultural events regularly in Delhi.
“Delhi is a city deeply connected with thousands of years of history, traditions, art, culture, valour and heritage,” Mishra said.
He said such events would help strengthen Delhi’s cultural identity and connect younger generations with India’s artistic and cultural traditions.
Mishra said the Delhi government was committed to developing the national capital not only as the country’s political capital but also as its cultural capital.
He invited artistes, gurus and others associated with the cultural sector from across the country to share ideas and propose initiatives for organising cultural programmes in Delhi. The government would work with artistes and cultural practitioners to take such programmes forward, he said.
The festival featured performances representing several Indian classical dance traditions, including Kuchipudi, Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Sattriya, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali and Manipuri.
On the opening day, Padma Bhushan awardees Guru Raja and Radha Reddy and their group from Delhi presented Kuchipudi, while Padma Shri awardee Ramli Ibrahim from Malaysia performed a special presentation. Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Guru Vaswati Mishra presented Odissi, Kalakshetra from Chennai performed Bharatanatyam and Dhwani from Delhi presented Kathak.
The concluding day’s programme featured performances by Lok Chhanda from Delhi, Nrityagram and Guru Surupa Sen from Bengaluru, and Guru Latasana Devi and her group from Mumbai.
The closing ceremony also featured a special Bharatanatyam production conceptualised and prepared by Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee Guru Vaibhav Arekar.
(IANS Inputs)
