By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 9 Nov: The 13th day of the Virasat Art and Heritage Festival 2023 commenced on Wednesday with a vibrant painting competition and an engaging treasure hunt organised by Kalpana Sharma. The theme for the painting competition was “My City, My Heritage”. Numerous schools, including Kendriya Vidyalaya ONGC, Doon Presidency School, Premnagar, Hill Foundation School, Sun Valley School, St Jude’s School, Doon International School, SGRR Public School, Balawala, Doon Sarala Academy, Touch Wood School, Whizkid International Senior Secondary School, Aasra Trust, and Flyphot, actively participated in the programme. Over 400 children from various schools, such as Public School, Latika Foundation, Treasurer Shikar, Hill Foundation School, Doon International School, SGRR Public School, Balawala, and Whizkid International Senior Secondary School, participated with great enthusiasm. At the conclusion of the programme, all participants were honoured with prizes and certificates.
The cultural festivities of the day were inaugurated by Rajeev Kumar Singh, AG (A&E), Dehradun, and RK Singh, General Secretary of REACH Heritage, along with other dignitaries, who lit the ceremonial lamp.
The first performance of the cultural programme featured a spellbinding Kathak dance by Shinjini Kulkarni. She began her performance with a mesmerising rendition of Shiva Vandana, followed by traditional shuddha dances in 3 taal and 4 taal, and a Dadra composition from her gharana, composed by her great-grandfather, Pandit Bingari Maharaj. Shubh Maharaj accompanied her on the tabla, Zoheb Hassan on vocals, Vishal Mishra on sitar, Sameer Khana on the flute, and Siya Verma in vocals.
Shinjini Kulkarni, born into the illustrious Kalka Bindadin dynasty’s ninth generation, is the granddaughter of the Kathak legend Pandit Birju Maharaj.
The second segment of the cultural programme showcased Hindustani classical music by Brajeshwar Mukherjee. He opened his performance with Raga Bhupali, followed by Raga Kamod and two enchanting thumris, “Jo Yaad Piya Ki Aye” and “Ka Karoon Sajni Piya Na Aaye”. Accompanying Brajeshwar Mukherjee were Pandit Dharmanath Jha on tabla, Pandit Dharmanath Mishra on harmonium, and Nitin Sharma and Saloni Rawat on tanpura.
Brajeshwar Mukherjee, a renowned Hindustani classical singer from Kolkata, India, received his early music education from his parents and further honed his skills under the guidance of Asit Roy from the Bishnupur Gharana. He currently studies under the tutelage of the renowned Pt. Ajay Chakraborty.
The third segment of the cultural programme featured a captivating Qawwali performance by the Niazi Bandhu. They opened with Qawwali written by Amir Khusro, followed by soul-stirring renditions of “Kripa Karo Maharaj,” “Sanson Ki Mala,” “Chhaap Tilak,” “Ishq Mein Tere Kohe Gham”, and a lively performance of “Rang Ha Reema”. The Niazi Bandhu were accompanied by Majid Niazi, Mukram Niazi and Hamid Niazi on chorus and main vocals, Bosin on keyboard, Wasif on dholak, and Vijay on tabla.
Hailing from the renowned Rampur Gharana, the Niazi Brothers, Shahid Niazi and Sami Niazi, have earned international acclaim for their versatile musical talents, spanning Qawwali, Naat, Ghazal, Bhajan, Geet, Folk, and more. They proudly carry on the 250-year-old tradition of Qawwali from the Rampur Gharana, emphasizing Qawwali as “Rooh-e-Ghiza” (food for the soul), a form of music created in the 13th century by Amir Khusro Dehlavi.
REACH, founded in 1995 in Dehradun, has been organising the Virasat Mahotsav, with the primary aim of preserving India’s artistic, cultural, and heritage values and sharing these cultural treasures with the public. The Heritage Festival has played a pivotal role in reviving endangered rural arts, breathing new life into village traditions, music, dance, crafts, painting, sculpture, theater, storytelling, and traditional cuisine. This effort has brought classical and contemporary arts to the forefront and garnered recognition from diverse audiences.
