Dehradun, October 15, 2024 – The renowned cultural event “Heritage Art and Heritage Festival 2024” was inaugurated by the Honorable Minister of Tourism, Satpal Maharaj, with the lighting of a lamp at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Stadium (Kaulagarh Road) in Dehradun.
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 emphasized 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 Mrs. R.S. Narayani, Executive Director at ONGC.
Expressing his views in the program, General Secretary of Virasat Mahotsav RK Singh noted that by organizing this event, the 30th consecutive anniversary of Virasat is being celebrated by the RICH organization. He stated that by organizing these events, Virasat is gaining continuous strength and its light and flame will keep reaching across the world. On this occasion, the program 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 present.
The event kicked off with a Choliya dance performed by the Prakash Rawat Party from Pithoragarh, celebrating the vibrant cultural heritage of Uttarakhand. Choliya is a traditional folk dance that originated in the Kumaon division of the Indian state of Uttarakhand and the western province of Nepal. Today, it has become a symbol of Kumaoni and Far Western culture. Originally a sword dance accompanying the wedding procession, it is now performed on many auspicious occasions. It is especially popular in Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, and Pithoragarh districts of Kumaon division and in Doti, Baitadi, and Dharchula of Nepal. 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.
It originated from the warring Kshatriyas of Kumaon, the Khas and Katyuris, when marriages were performed at the point of swords. With warlike music, armed with swords, they dance in a completely synchronized manner, engaging in mock battles with their fellow dancers. Holding triangular red flags and waving their swords, with fierce expressions on their faces, they give the impression of warriors going to war. Musicians and sword dancers are involved in this. 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 in the Keep event, followed by performances like Nav Murti Madobaj, Chola Yudh, and Minar.
In the second presentation of the cultural program, Dr. N. Rajam and Ragini Shankar presented a violin recital. Padma Bhushan N. Rajam and his granddaughter Ragini Shankar started the program with Raag Jog in Vilambit Ek taal. They also presented a famous composition in Raag Jog, “Sajan more ghar aaye.” They concluded the program with Raag Bhairavi.
Many personalities have been registering their presence as eminent guests in the Virasat Mahotsav every year, among whom the name of Dr. N. Rajam is prominent. Dr. N. Rajam, a violinist, needs no introduction; she is one of the finest and most outstanding artists in the field of music. Her magical fingers mesmerize the melodious strings of the violin and create a divine and sublime atmosphere. 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 Shri 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, a pioneer among musicians who made a path-breaking debut through her Gayaki Ang. Apart from being a consummate artist, 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 one of India’s highest civilian honors, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, awarded by the President of India, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Fellowship, Kalidas Samman, etc. Coming from a family with a musical tradition spanning seven generations, Ragini Shankar started learning Hindustani (North Indian) classical music on the violin at the tender age of 4 under the tutelage of her eminent grandmother, Padma Bhushan Dr. N. Rajam, and her role model mother, Dr. Sangeeta Shankar, one of India’s leading violinists. She has performed at many prestigious music festivals in India, Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. Known for her ability to reproduce vocal music on the violin, she has collaborated on musical projects with acclaimed artists from various genres. Ragini and her sister Nandini Shankar were signed by Decca Records US, a part of Universal Music Group, for a full-length music album for their fusion ensemble ‘Tarana’. She has also collaborated on projects with renowned lyricist Irshad Kamil’s ‘Ink Band’, renowned French composer Thierry Peco’s ‘Sangta’, and Sangita Shankar’s innovative fusion ‘Instrings’. She has been awarded the Aditya Birla Kala Kiran Award and the Jashn-e-Youngistan Award presented by the Vice President of India.
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