4th day of Virasat Festival witnesses Sadhana Prog
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 31 Oct: The fourth day of the Virasat Art and Heritage Festival 2023 commenced on Monday with the captivating Virasat Sadhana programme, featuring outstanding performances by Dehradun’s school students in classical songs and music.
Nineteen schools from Dehradun participated in the singing category, showcasing their remarkable talent. Anirudh Nautiyal and Mayank Sundarwal from Social Baluni Public School delivered a mesmerising rendition of “Radhika Naache”. Ritkriti Negi and Shubham Dhyani from Hill Foundation School presented the enchanting “Raga Yaman”. Aditi Verma and Yogesh Khetwal from Flyfot Public School performed “Raga Yaman”, while Ojasvi Panuli and Vibushit from Doon International School presented “Raga Duryodharaksha”. Krithanjay Mohan Das, Kuldeep Panth and Tarash Sethi from The Tonsbridge School presented “Raga Aheer Bhairav”. Pradyumna Nautiyal and Sachin Maithali from SGRR University performed “Raaga Rashtrareyaag”. Pragati Rana and Swara Ahuja from Glee Music Academy delivered a captivating rendition of “Brindavani Sarang”. Archana and Rajesh Kaloni from SGRR Public School, Sahastradhara Road, presented “Bhairavi Raga”.
Vansh Thapa, Paritosh Sharma, and Sparsh Sethi from Saraswati Sangeet Mandir presented “Raag Bhairav”. Latika, Anil Nautiyal, and Naveen Uniyal from Hopeway Public School enchanted the audience with “Jyoti Kalash Chalka”. Anushree Pokhriyal, Yogesh Khetwal and Saurav Ahuja from St Jude’s School presented “Raag Bihaag”. Aaradhya Rawat, Yogesh Khetwal and Saurav Ahuja from Hilton School performed “Raag Bhopali”. Adhipriya Nautiyal, Yogesh Khetwal,and Saurav Ahuja from Shamrock, Nakraunda presented “Bandish and Tarana” in Raag Malkosh. Drishti Kanojia, Yogesh Khetwal and Saurav Ahuja presented “Raga Megh” from the Banyan Tree. Devansh Awasthi, Yogesh Khetwal and Saurav Ahuja from Tarun Sangeet and Vichar Manch performed “Raag Bhopali”. Vartika Singh, Yogesh Khetwal and Saurav Ahuja from Universal Academy delivered “Bada Khayal” from Raag Yaman. The organiser of Virasat Sadhana, Sadhna, distributed certificates to the participants.
The cultural programme of the day was inaugurated by IAS officer Dr BWC Purushottam, who lit the ceremonial lamp. RK Singh, General Secretary of REACH Heritage, and other members were also present.
The cultural programme’s first presentation featured a Jugalbandi performance on the flute and mandolin by renowned artists Ronu Majumdar and U Rajesh. They began with a mesmerising rendition of Carnatic music, starting with Raga Mohanam, which shares similarities with Raga Bhupali. Sri Srinivasan accompanied their performance on the Mridangam, creating a harmonious musical experience. Their presentation continued with Ragamala.
The second presentation of the cultural programme featured the renowned singer Sudha Ragunathan, who began her performance with “Mathe Ek Varnam” in Raaga Khamaj, dedicated to the Universal Mother. She followed this with a Raaga dedicated to ‘Kashi Ramkriya’ by music composer Muthuswami Dikshitar, invoking Lord Ganesha. Sudha Ragunathan also presented “Pantuvarali” and concluded with a selection of devotional folk compositions.
The third presentation of the cultural programme featured the “Raketa” team, a group of international artists from Russia. Russian dances were sheer poetry in motion. All the dancers moved in one fluid motion telling a story full of energy and rhythm. The “Raketa” team included Anastasia Parkova, Elizaveta Busygina, Yulianna Darman, Ekaterina Rizhova, Yulia Tcheryakova, Christina Karamysheva, Daniil Vereshchagin, Maksim Kokanov, Sergei Tupik, Artem Salon, Andrey Bazin, and Polina Koroleva.
The “Raketa” team, a modern dance group, was established in 1995 and comprises students from various universities in Nizhny Novgorod. Under the direction of Danila Vereshchagin, the group utilises innovative methods and techniques to create productions that blend the Chmvetsya folk dance of Russia with contemporary and traditional choreographic styles. The ensemble presents captivating stories from people’s lives, making it one of the brightest representatives of this genre in Russia.
The group’s stage costumes are a reflection of national characteristics and the soul of Russian culture, with vivid imagination and dramatic developments in form, movement, and texture. The “Raketa” team has gained recognition not only in Nizhny Novgorod but also in various regions of Russia and abroad. They have participated in international festivals and competitions in countries such as the Czech Republic, Turkey, Poland, Bulgaria, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Serbia, Slovakia, Germany, Algeria, and Abkhazia, earning high praise from organizers and audiences. For their artistic skills and concert activities, the modern dance group received the title of “Honored Group of Folk Art.” The artistic directors of the group are Danila Vereshchagin and Natalya Vereshchagin. In 2022, choreographer and dance director Danila Vereshchagin was awarded the title of “Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation” by the Order of the President of Russia.
