By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 16 Oct: The cultural event, “Heritage Art and Heritage Festival 2024”, was inaugurated by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj with the lighting of a lamp at Dr BR Ambedkar Stadium (Kaulagarh Road), here, on 15 October.
Following the official inauguration, Minister Satpal Maharaj remarked that the Heritage Festival has been celebrated annually for 30 years, making a significant impact on cultural heritage worldwide. He highlighted the performance of the Choliya dance, which promotes human chain connections and represents martial skills. He also noted the cultural significance of the dhol player, who draws from the Samaveda, showcasing the region’s diverse traditions. During the event, he emphasised the promotion of homestays for tourists, stating that 5,000 homestays are now registered and should be further encouraged to enhance tourism. Notable attendees included Geeta Khanna, Chairperson of the Child Welfare Commission of Uttarakhand, and RS Narayani, Executive Director, ONGC.
Expressing his views, General Secretary of Virasat Mahotsav, RK Singh noted that by organising this event, the 30th consecutive anniversary of Virasat is being celebrated by the REACH organisation. He stated that by organising these events, Virasat is gaining continuous strength. The Programme Director of the event, Lokesh Ohri, Trustee Harish Awal, Joint Secretary Vijayshree Joshi, Director of Craft Sunil Verma, media in-charge Priyavanda Iyer, office administrator Pradeep Maithal, and others were also present.
The event kicked off with a Choliya dance performed by the Prakash Rawat Party from Pithoragarh, celebrating the vibrant cultural heritage of Uttarakhand. Originally a sword dance accompanying the wedding procession, it is now performed on many auspicious occasions. The history of this sword dance is more than a thousand years old and is rooted in the martial traditions of the Kumaoni people and the Khas people.
This folk dance was earlier performed using traditional instruments like dhol, damou, nagada, etc. This time, along with traditional instruments, a Casio was also used to make the performance more entertaining. They started the Choliya dance performance with the arrival of the gods, presenting Bedu Pako Baro Masa, followed by performances like Nav Murti Madobaj, Chola Yudh, and Minar.
In the second presentation of the cultural programme, Dr N Rajam and Ragini Shankar presented a violin recital. Padma Bhushan awardee N Rajam and her granddaughter Ragini Shankar started the programme with Raag Jog in Vilambit Ek taal. They also presented a famous composition in Raag Jog, “Sajan more ghar aaye”. They concluded the programme with Raag Bhairavi.
Dr N Rajam is a violinist, one of the finest and most outstanding artists in the field of music. She established a new dimension in the world of classical music by introducing “Gaayak Ang,” a technique that presents a vocal style of music on the violin, which has made her globally famous as a singing violinist. Coming from a family of traditional musicians, she mastered the Carnatic style at a very young age and received intensive training for 15 years from her father, Vidwan A Narayana Iyer, who was an excellent teacher of music and a great visionary. Later, she ventured into Hindustani style under the guardianship of Pandit Omkarnath Thakur. Dr Rajam has also served as the Dean at Banaras Hindu University for 40 years and has been conferred the title of “Emeritus Professor” in recognition of her outstanding talent and service to music.
She has been the recipient of countless prestigious awards, including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Fellowship, Kalidas Samman, etc.
