Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 17 Aug: On the occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami Mahotsav, Meghdoot Natya Sanstha staged a grand performance of the play “Rukmini Mangal” at the auditorium of Gita Bhavan, Raja Road, here, on Saturday. The play, written and directed by Meghdoot’s founder and eminent dramatist SP Mamgain, was based on the stories of the marriage of Rukmini and Shri Krishna, the penance of Ghantakarna at Shri Badrinath Dham, and the birth of Pradyumna. In the play, Lord Krishna, along with Rukmini, appoints Ghantakarna as the guardian deity of Badrinath Dham.
Drawing its theme from Shrimad Bhagavat Purana, Shiva Purana, Harivamsha Purana, Skanda Purana, Radheshyam’ narrative poetry Rukmini Mangal, Ramcharitmanas, and Garga Samhita, the play held the audience spellbound till the end.
SP Mamgain is widely recognised for his mastery in staging plays on mythological themes, having earlier directed dozens of such productions both within and outside Dehradun. At Gita Bhavan, itself, he has earlier staged plays like Shri Krishna Avatar, Usha-Aniruddha Vivah, and many others.
State Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi, Rajpur Road MLA Khajan Das, Cantt MLA Savita Kapoor, along with several other dignitaries were present on the occasion. The guests were welcomed by Sanatan Dharma Sabha President Rakesh Oberoi, General Secretary Vipin Nagalia, and Gulshan Khurana.
The late-night performance saw outstanding portrayals: Vijay Dabral as Lord Shiva, Jahnavi Pandey as Parvati, Anil Dutt Sharma as Krishna, and Mitali Punetha as Rukmini. Other notable roles included Uttam Banduni as the Brahmin, Nandkishore Tripathi as Ghantakarna, Girivijay Dhoundiyal as Ghantakarna’s brother, Archana Bhandari as Sulekha, Akshit Joshi, Govind Thapliyal as Rishi Angira, Manish Gusain as Vasant, Rajesh Bhardwaj as Sarang, Poonam Rana as Bhuma and Kamdev, Rashmi Jaina as Mangla, Harsh Pandey as Satyaki, and Pradeep Sharma as Vashishtha.
A Dandiya dance sequence featuring Sapna Gulati, Poonam Rana, Rashmi Jaina, Indu Rawat, Archana Bhandari, Jahnavi Pandey, Monika, Priyanka Rana, Kashish, and Mamta added colour and vibrancy to the evening. Music was composed by Alok Malasi and coordinated by Mohit Kumar. Costume and makeup were managed by Amita Mohit, Monika Dhoundiyal, Abhishek Mendola, Sapna Gulati, Pradeep Sharma, and Mamta. Siddharth Dangwal delivered a powerful act as the transformed Ghantakarna. Performances by Prem Kumar, Ravindra Goswami, and Harsh Pandey were also noteworthy.
The play continued till late at night, with the audience staying glued to their seats till the end. The event was conducted by Dinesh Shastri.
