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Cultural performances win over audience on day 1 of Deshaj
The stage was prepped for folk artists from states across the country to perform music and dance for Lucknowites.
LUCKNOW The Ram Manohar Lohia Park gallery was resplendent with colours and music as the first day of ‘Deshaj’, a folk festival organised by Son Chiraiya, began here on Saturday. The stage was prepped for folk artists from states across the country to perform music and dance for Lucknowites.
The chief guest at the event was Union minister of state for parliamentary affairs and culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal, who along with special guests -- deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, theatre actress from Karnataka Padma Shri Manjamma Jogathi, Malawi folk singer Prahlad Tipaniya and Purnima Pandey, former vice-chancellor of Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vidyalaya, organiser of the event folk singer Malini Awasthi and other dignitaries -- lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the beginning of the two-day event. Awasthi called the event “a bouquet of Indian cultures prepared to decorate the city of Lucknow.”
The event began with an opening performance where all the dance troupes dressed to the hilt in traditional costumes came onto stage together for an almost 20-minute display comprising all of their dance forms, including Siddhi Dhamaal from Gujarat, Bhangra from Patiala, Thang Ta (martial art) from Manipur, Chhau from Jharkhand, Dhediya from Uttar Pradesh and more. These performers were joined by Awasthi herself, who provided the vocals for tying together all the dance forms in a grand finish. The audience, comprising of toddlers and older citizens, watched on with awe as the performers from Gujarat spat fire into the air and those from Manipur displayed martial arts with the flags of swords and shield echoing across the galleries.
This was followed by a performance from 75 children studying at Rishikul International College of Mathura in Gokul, Mathura, who through ‘Alha Gayan’ a folk music form from Bundelkhand, narrated the story of Lord Krishna’s life. The programme for the first day also included a performance by Tipaniya, and standalone performances of all of the other dance forms presented earlier, and ended on a cheerful note with a Bhangr display performed by dancers from the Lok Nach Society.
