By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 26 Oct: A press conference was held at a local hotel on Wednesday at which key members of the Rural Entrepreneurship for Art and Cultural Heritage (REACH) organisation shared comprehensive details about their upcoming event, Virasat Festival 2023.
RK Singh, the Founder and General Secretary of REACH, said, “Virasat is an annual cultural extravaganza celebrating Indian and international folk and classical dance, music, arts, crafts and the vast heritage of India. The festival will commence from 27 October at Dr BR Ambedkar Stadium, Kaulagarh Road. The fortnight-long festival will conclude on 10 November. The festival serves as a platform for skilled artisans and craftspersons to showcase their traditional and classical art forms, upholding India’s rich cultural heritage.”
The festival’s main stage, known as the Heritage Village, draws inspiration from the iconic temple architecture of Uttarakhand, symbolising the harmonious diversity and unity of Indian culture.
Addressing the press, Lokesh Ohri, a senior member of REACH, outlined the diverse programmes slated for the 15-day event. He said, “The 15-day programmes will include morning and afternoon sessions at Virasat Sadhna – a platform for young and emerging artists from schools and colleges of Dehradun to showcase their talent. Programmes like Pratibha will be staged, a craft workshop by master artisans, vintage car and bike rally, heritage quiz, photography competition and talks on music and literature by experts like KL Pandey and Tripurari Sharan will also be among the attractions.”
The festival will also showcase folk dances from the states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Goa, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh, and various international dance forms from countries such as Russia and South Africa, performed by a diverse array of groups and artists.
Attendees can anticipate a grand event featuring folk and Sufi music, Ghazal, Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, as well as dance forms like Bharatnatyam and Kathak. Instrumental performances featuring sarod, tabla, flute, mandolin, violin, and piano will further captivate the audience.
Virasat 2023 will witness the presence of esteemed Indian and international luminaries in their respective fields, including the three-time Grammy Award-winning Indian musician Ricky Cage, Kaushiki Chakraborty of Patiala Gharana, eminent Sufi singers, the Wadalis, Sanjeev Abhyankar of Mewati Gharana, renowned Pandit Sajan Mishra, and Ghazal singer Radhika Chopra. The Punjabi folk artiste Jasbir Jassi, raga maker Brian Silas, and Kathak dancer Shinjini Kulkarni, among others, will also grace the stage, providing outstanding performances for the people of Dehradun.
On behalf of Rural Entrepreneurship for Art and Cultural Heritage (REACH), General Secretary RK Singh, Director, Program, Lokesh Ohri, Trustee Harish Awal, Joint Secretary Vijayashree Joshi and Media Incharge Priyamvada Iyer were present at the press conference.
