16th edition of Lalit Arpan Festival: An ode to Bahuda

New Delhi [India], Sep 25 (ANI): For over 37 years, Padmashri Shovana Narayan, Kathak Guru, through her Asavari Society, has been holding Festivals and programmes that focus on the spreading awareness of our rich, over 2500 years, old classical music and dance tradition, thus ensuring its preservation.

The Lalit Arpan Festival 2017 in its 16th edition by Padmashri Shovana Narayan, Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, Harish Narula unfolded on September 21, 2017 at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi to an overflowing auditorium, in the presence of Chief Guest Padma Vibhushan Dr.Sonal Mansingh, the Austrian Ambassador Her Excellency Brigitte Oeppinger-Walchshofer and DG, ICCR Amb Reva Ganguly-Das.

The next day, despite heavy rains and traffic snarls, the audience along with Chief Guest Shahnawaz Hussain (BJP Sokesperson) and His Excellency GyulaPetho, Ambassador of Hungary were there to witness the show.

This festival was 'An Ode to Bahuda' wherein the term Bahuda, taken from the Vedic verse 'ekam sat viprahbahudavadanti' exemplified the spirit of Indian philosophy, denoting plurality of expressional genres that is visibly practiced in the field of arts.

For the first time, the event showcased theatrical element with classical theatrical genre of Dastangoi and a musical play, in addition to classical dance and music.

On Day 1, the virtuoso performance "Shadowed Colours" by Kathak dancer Sanchita Abrol, an evocative "View on the Mahabharata" by Austraian Bharatnatyam dancer Radha Anjali & NatyaMandir Dance Co. from Austria and a pulsating "ChhandPravah" featuring a Tabla-PakhawajJugalbandi with footwork executed by members of the extended GanganiParivar, were scintillating.

On Day 2, a riveting performance of "Dastan Goi" narrating Ismat Chugtai's story Lajo by Sunil Mehra and Askari Naqvi, a violin recital by Azhar Shakeel and an evocative musical on Zafar bringing out various anecdotes in his life and his ultimate exile and pain at leaving his motherland by Zakia Zaheer, Syeda Hameed and Rene Singh, kept the audience enthralled.

"Lalit Arpan Samman" was constituted as a humble gesture to those artists who have consistently worked on promoting classic art in different forms.

The Lalit Arpan Samman awardees this year were:

Guru TirathAjmani (Kathak guru)

VarinderWadhwa (technical light-sound)

Pandit Jwala Prasad (Music composer)

Naresh Kapuria (installation and environmental artist)

UstadShakeel Ahmed Khan (tabla)

Harish Jain (light designer)

The two days of the Festival saw several eminent personalities and luminaries in attendance. They included Padma Vibhushan Dr. SonalMansingh and Sayed Shahnawaz Hussain, Fashion Designer Christine Storm, Entrepreneur Rajeev Anand, Kuchipuri Dancer Rashmi Vaidialingam, Art Curator Naresh Kapuria, Dr. Jyotsna Suri, classical vocalist Padma Bhushan Shanno Khurana, classical vocalist Padma Shri Madhup Mudgal, and others. (ANI)