New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Eminent artistes from India and abroad performed at the three-day ‘Indraprastha Nritya Mahotsav’ that concluded on Sunday at the historic Purana Qila in Delhi, an official said.
Organised by the Delhi Tourism Department of the state government, the festival was held on the theme ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi’.
The festival was held from October 2 to 4, with performances scheduled daily from 6:30 p.m. onwards. Entry for the public is free.
On the occasion, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra said that organising the Indraprastha Nritya Mahotsav at the historic Purana Qila was a special initiative in itself.
He added that the festival provided an important platform to showcase Delhi’s historical heritage and India’s rich cultural traditions together.
He said that the festival was organised for the second time and, following discussions with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, efforts will be made to regularly organise and promote such cultural events in Delhi.
Mishra said that Delhi is a city deeply connected with thousands of years of history, traditions, art, culture, valour and heritage.
He added that through such events, efforts were being made to strengthen Delhi’s cultural identity and connect the younger generation with India’s rich artistic and cultural traditions.
He said that the Delhi government is committed to developing the national capital not only as the political capital but also as the cultural capital of the country.
He added that ideas and initiatives from artistes, gurus and people associated with the cultural sector from across the country are welcome for organising cultural programmes and launching new initiatives in Delhi.
The state government will work together with artistes and those associated with the cultural sector to take such programmes forward, he said.
The Indraprastha Nritya Mahotsav featured performances representing various Indian classical dance traditions, including Kuchipudi, Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Sattriya, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali and Manipuri.
On the first day of the festival, Padma Bhushan awardees Guru Raja and Radha Reddy and group (Delhi) presented Kuchipudi; Padma Shri Ramli Ibrahim (Malaysia) presented a performance; Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Guru Vaswati Mishra (Delhi) presented Odissi; Kalakshetra from Chennai presented Bharatanatyam; and Dhwani from Delhi presented Kathak.
On the concluding day, the performances listed included Lok Chhanda (Delhi), Nrityagram and Guru Surupa Sen (Bengaluru), and Guru Latasana Devi and group (Mumbai).
At the closing ceremony, a special Bharatanatyam production conceptualised and prepared by Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee Guru Vaibhav Arekar was presented.
–IANS
rch/khz