KP Singh inaugurated 14-day fair by lighting lamp, and audience immersed in colors of folk culture
Prayagraj: The sweetness of folk songs, the echo of devotional music and the captivating charm of the peacock dance of Braj…. In the evening adorned with the joy of Diwali and the diverse colours of Indian folk culture, the audience came face to face with the tunes of traditions. The 14-day Diwali Craft Fair was inaugurated in a grand manner on Thursday at the Shilp Haat located in the Cultural Centre premises by the North Central Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Chief guest, State President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and retired IG K.P. Singh inaugurated the cultural evening by lighting the lamp along with Centre Director Sudesh Sharma, Deputy Director Dr. Mukesh Upadhyay and Advisor Kalpana Sahay.
The cultural evening began with the recitation of the Swasti by the students of Saudamini Sanskrit College. Gauri and Yatharth then filled the atmosphere with devotion by reciting the mantra “Vakratunda Mahakaya, Suryakoti Samprabha.”
The sentiments of folk life reflected in the tunes of Birha: Folk singer Priyanka Madhuri brought to life the emotions and mythological events of folk life through her Birha singing. Through songs like “Banwa mein Ram gayile, Siya ke haran bhaile,” she captured the pain of Ram’s exile to the forest and Sita’s abduction. Meanwhile, songs like “Bahinia Manmohan ki Bawri,” “Nirbhay Veer Dhanurdhar Parth ki Dulhaniya,” and Birha based on the Durvasa episode introduced listeners to the rich tradition of folk singing.
After this, young artist Harshita Sudarshan sang Ganpati Jagavandan, whose protector is Ram, such was my love for you that my heart felt like this, ‘Heaven has come down to earth, such a festival of lights, Diwali’ and ‘New Jhoolni ke Chhaiya Balam, Dopahariya Dilay Da Ho’, spread the enthusiasm of Diwali and the sweetness of folk music with songs like this.
Bhajans captivated the audience, semi-classical singing captivated: Young artist Harshita Sudarshan mesmerized the audience with her rendition of “Gaaye Ganpati Jagavandan”, “Jiska Rakhwala Hai Ram”, “Aisi Lagi Lagan”, “Ram Bhajan Kar Man” and “Piya Tose Laga Jo Yeh Man”. After this confluence of devotion and melodies, Dr. Surendra Kumar gave a new height to the musical evening by presenting semi-classical singing.
Peacock Dance, a tribute to the devotion of Braj: The highlight of the evening was the performance by Girdhar Gopal Sharma and his team from Mathura. The artists began their performance with “Braj Vandana—Brajdham emerged from the four holy places.” Then, with the song “Aaj apne Kanha ko mukhadau dikhaay de, ghunghat hatay de Radhe,” the folk traditions of Braj and the devotion of Radha and Krishna were brought to life on stage.
The peacock dance performed to the song “Aayo Rasiya, Mor Ban Aayo Rasiya” received a lot of applause from the audience. The rhythmic postures and attractive dance moves of the artists adorned with peacock feathers brought alive the cultural heritage of Braj. The entire campus appeared drenched in the colors of devotion and folk art. Chief guest K.P. Singh visited the Diwali Crafts Fair and observed the handmade products of artisans from different states. He interacted with the artisans, appreciated their skills and encouraged them. On this occasion, the Center Director honored the Chief Guest by presenting him with a garment and a plant. The program was conducted by Sudhanshu Shukla.
