BHOPAL: The ancient murals of Khajuraho came alive with light breeze adding to the romance of a sublime evening as the 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival began on Thursday with politicians, bureaucrats and several tourists in attendance.
The much-awaited event was inaugurated by culture minister Vijayalaxmi Sadho, with senior IAS officer Pankaj Raag in attendance. Chhatarpur collector Mohit Bundas was also present on the occasion.
The high point of the evening was the felicitation of internationally acclaimed dancers — Jatin Goswami and Uma Sharma - with Kalidas Samman. While giving the awards, Sadho said, “Madhya Pradesh is a culturally rich and diversified state. We have a long and illustrious legacy, but the onus lies on each one of us to nurture this heritage. It is a pleasure to award Kalidas Samman to brilliant artistes like Jatin Goswami and Uma Sharma who have made us proud.” A cash award of Rs2 lakh was given to each awardee, along with a citation.
Sadho also made a special announcement on the occasion, which is expected to give fillip to tourism in the region. “We will soon make a state-of-the-art amphitheatre in Khajuraho, which will attract more tourists to this thriving hub of culture,” she said.
The event began with a dance drama by Kathak guru Uma Sharma and her troupe. The act saw Uma’s team captivate the audience as Krishna, Radha and gopikas with their divine raas leela. Later, living legend of Sattriya, Goswami enthralled everyone with his performance. Odissi artiste Meera Das was a joy to watch on stage with her brilliant footwork, abhinaya and lyrical moves.
Khajuraho fest is one of the most prestigious dance festivals in the world, attended by connoisseurs from across the globe. The week-long dance extravaganza will see a perfect blend of youth and experience mesmerising the audience in the backdrop of the ethereal Khajuraho temples, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with their mastery over various classical dance forms, including Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam and Sattriya.
Organised by Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Evam Kala Academy and the department of culture, the festival will have dancers like Pujita Krishnan, Krishna Mohan Mishra, Lata Singh Munshi, Shobhana Pillai, Suprva Mishra, Anand Shankar Jayant, Y Asha Kumari, Kshitija Barve, Ragini Makkhar, N Srikanth, Ashwini Srikanth, Nair sisters, Nartaki Natraj, Bhadra Sinha, Gayatri Verma, Richa Joshi, Deepak Gangani, Mohika Saxena, Sri Vidya, Inakshi Sinha, Vasu Sinam, Amita Khare mesmerise the eclectic audience.
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