By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 29 Oct: The second day of the Virasat Art and Heritage Festival 2023 commenced on Saturday with the captivating ‘Virasat Sadhna’ programme, marking the beginning of a cultural extravaganza. Under the ‘Virasat Sadhna’ event, eight prominent schools of Dehradun showcased their talent. The participating schools included Philphot Public School, Doon International School, SGRR Public School, Balawala, SGRR Public School, Sahastradhara Road, Doon Sarala Academy, Hope Way Public School, Touch Wood School, and Aasra Trust. During the elimination round, teams had 20 minutes to complete written tasks, and the following students advanced to the final round: Vardaan Singhal and Aishwarya Rawat from Doon International, Om Bilalwan and Gargi Dhasmana from Hope Way Public School, Manav Saka and Prakhar Bahuguna from Touch Wood School, and Ananya Singh and Siddhant Solanki from Doon International.
The day’s Heritage Quiz winners were Ananya Singh and Siddhant Solanki from Doon International, followed by Vardaan Singhal and Aishwarya Rawat from Doon International in the second position. All participants will receive certificates and prizes during the prize distribution ceremony on 9 November.
The day’s cultural programme was inaugurated by Mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’. A.K. Balyan, former CED, Petron LNG, and ONGC Director, Human Resources, and RK Singh, General Secretary of REACH Virasat, along with other guests, were also present.
Porbandar’s ‘Ras’ Rana Sida and his troupe took the stage and left the audience spellbound with their sword dance, Dhal Talwar, Maniara, and Raas performances. The artists, including Rana Bhai Sida (Leader), Mohan, Ramesh, Nilesh, Bhoja Bhai, Khoda, Nitesh, Lakhu, Ram, Nilesh, Manoj, Arjun, Nitin, Sagar, Harish, and Jai were accompanied by musicians Meraman (singer), Aarv (shehnai), Prakash (dhol), and Ashif (dhol). The Maher Raas group, rooted in Porbandar, Gujarat, has been captivating audiences worldwide for over 35 years, showcasing their traditional sword and shield dance. The group primarily performs Maniaro Raas, Dhal Talwar Raas, Asiyad Raas, Gowar Raas, and Athingo Raas. Their energetic and precise movements mirror the discipline of soldiers on the battlefield. Musical instruments like the Dhol, Sarnai (clarinet), and Harmonium accompany their performances, and their costumes consist of plain white clothing, turbans, red bands across the chest and back, and a red and gold-plated bead necklace.
Following this, the ‘Mallik Brothers’ presented a soulful Dhrupad performance that captivated the audience. They began with “Dhrupad Char Taal Bandiya” and moved on to “Tero Hi Gyan Dhyan, Tero Hi Sumiran” in Raga Saraswati.
The ‘Mallik Brothers’, Prashant Mallik and Nishant Mallik, represent the 13th generation of the Darbhanga Dhrupad tradition, with a lineage dating back 500 years.
In the final presentation of the cultural programme, Omkar Dadarkar presented Hindustani vocal singing, showcasing his talent and skill.
Omkar Dadarkar, born on July 30, 1977, in Mumbai, hails from a family with deep roots in Marathi theater music. He received early guidance from his late aunt, the renowned classical singer Manik Verma, and later studied under Ram Deshpande after being awarded the CCRT Scholarship for classical music in Delhi. He has become a recognized concert artist across India, the US, Canada, and the UK, with accolades such as the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and the Aditya Vikram Birla Award.
