INVC,,
Delhi,,
Kissing the winter bliss away and bringing back the vibrancy of the spring season, the splendour of 25th Surajkund Crafts Mela has already caught the fantasies of its visitors. Various national and international performances created a spectacular stage for blending a wide range of cultures together. Folk dances accompanied with traditional musical instruments lifted up the carnival spirit of the Mela. In addition to the hustle bustle of the visitors, the Mela had a resounding echo of the traditional music during the day and in the evening. The Choupals (open air stage) and the Natyashala (open air theatre) were packed with patrons of cultural arts and traditions and applauded various artists who performed there. The Mela created a mesmerizing kaleidoscope with its various magnificent facets. The main attraction of the Mela today was the visit by Kumari Selja, Hon’ble Union Minister of Culture and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation. She was escorted to the Mela grounds where she was amazed to see such an exhilarating blend of arts and crafts. She interacted with various craftspersons and learnt the intricacies of their respective arts. She congratulated the organisers for its impressive inauguration and wished them grand success for the coming days.
More than 500 artists, folk dancers and singers, descended on the platform of the Mela to perform throughout the day. The two Choupals witnessed some of the most scintillating dance performances from across the nation. Dance forms like Panthi from Chattisgarh, Sambhalpuri from Orissa, Brij ki Holi from Uttar Pradesh, traditional Haryanvi dance and Mewasi from Gujarat captivated the attention of the visitors. Various martial art dance forms like Thangta from Manipur, Gataka from Punjab and Puralia Chhaw from Jharkhand combined the elements of martial arts, sports, music and dance. The audience were left astounded with quick leg sweeps, acrobats and an exclusive use of props and traditional instruments. Bonalu, Dappulu, Tappetagullu from Andhra Pradesh added to the cultural potpourri of the Mela.
The Mela has always tried to inter weave national and international cultures and some of the dazzling performances by various countries like Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Russia expanded its horizons. An ensemble of song and dance from the partner country, Uzbekistan, depicted its national vocal-choreographic art in various traditional genres. The Bukhara national dance was one of the main dances performed by a group of around 20 Uzbek artists. These dance forms were dynamic and incendiary combined with lyrics of their heritage and history. Similarly, 15 Thai artists performed two different types of traditional dances- the Bird’s dance and the Four Region’s Dance. Each dance showcased the unique feature of the local Thai regions. Their dramatic dance moves displayed their elegance in art forms which was refined over centuries.
The evening at Surajkund Crafts Mela glittered with some of the performances by traditional and contemporary artists. The first day at the Natyashala was kick started by the performance of Indian Idol 5, Sreeram and his team. The second day witnessed Kuchipudi dances by Smt. Sailaja Prasad and team from Warangal and a Magic Show by Sri Jadhugar Ramesh and team from Hyderabad. The upcoming events will have classical dances by Smt. Swapana Sundari and group which are of international acclaim. Other traditional dances of Assam, Manipur, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh will dazzle the open air theatre in the coming days. The special feature of the Natyashala will be the Laughter Show by Shri Pratap Faujdar, Shri Khyali, Shri Gangu and Shri Ehsaan Quraishi on Sunday, 6 February.
