The 37th Foundation Day of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) commenced on March 19, 2024 and concluded on March 21, 2024 at the IGNCA premises in Janpath. In a span of three-day celebrations, diverse activities like classical singing, instrumental music, dance performances, a colourful celebration of ‘Phoolon ki Holi’, engaging workshops amongst others enthralled the guests. India is known for its rich cultural diversity.
Through diverse programmes of creative activities, performances, publications, IGNCA made a pioneering attempt to serve as a major resource centre for the arts especially in written, oral and visual forms. In the last few years, IGNCA has sown the seed of new programmes and projects. Under the leadership of Ram Bahadur Rai, president IGNCA and Prof (Dr) Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, the journey of the centre continues to evolve.
A press conference was conducted on the eve of the foundation day where Prof Richa Kamboj, Head of Department Kaladarsana division, IGNCA, Dr. Richa Negi, Director of the National Mission on Cultural Mapping, and Mr. Anurag Punetha, Controller of the Media Centre addressed the press before the onset of forthcoming celebrations.
The Akkarai sisters, S. Subbalakshmi and S. Sornalatha inaugurated the programme with an enchanting violin performance. The sisters enthralled the listeners with melodious vocal praises of the Ardhanarishwar, form of Lord Shiva. Thereafter, Ayaan Ali Bangash, the younger son of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, took to the stage and impressed the audience with the Sarod. Ayaan concluded his incredible performance with Raaga Hafiz Kauns which was a composition by his father commemorating the 25th death anniversary of his late grandfather, Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan.
Present at the event were dignitaries like IGNCA’s President Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, Member Secretary Dr Sachchidanand Joshi, esteemed dancer and Rajya Sabha member Padma Vibhushan Dr Sonal Mansingh, renowned dancer and Padma Vibhushan Dr Padma Subramaniam, celebrated sarod player Ustad Amjal Ali Khan, esteemed dancer and President of Sangeet Natak Academy Dr Sandhya Purecha, IGNCA director (administration) Dr Priyanka Mishra amongst several others.
The celebrations continued to the second day with a training workshop on ‘Museum Disaster Risk Reduction’ in association with the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). Dr Pratapanand Jha, Dean of IGNCA delivered the welcome speech and stressed on the importance and significance of Disaster Risk Reduction practices for museums and galleries.
He also emphasized the importance of asset conservation and preservation through digitization. Rajendra Ratnu, executive director of NIDM provided a detailed overview of NIDM roles and emphasized the pivotal role of Disaster Risk Reduction in cultural heritage conservation and also spoke about the necessity of regular training to ensure everyone is prepared during an emergency. On the same day, a renowned santoor player Pt Rahul Sharma took the audience into a musical trance. He started with Raga Yaman at the Unmukt Auditorium, IGNCA.
He closed his performance with the Pahari tune of Jammu and Kashmir on which the audience danced. Following this, a maestro of classical vocals, Vidushi Aarti Ankalikar Tikekar mesmerized the audience with her soul soothing singing. She grasped undivided attention by rendering ‘Kaun gati bhai mero’, ‘piya na poochhe ek baar’ in raga Bageshwari across three taals. As she came to an end, the amphitheater roared with a very loud round of applause appreciating the immense talent.
Prof Richa Kamboj also provided information that an exhibition showcasing the art of bamboo basketry popularly known as ‘Basketry’ from the North-Eastern regions was organized at the ‘Darshanam’ Art Gallery located on the ground floor of the centre. On the final day, IGNCA launched two significant literary works, ‘Siddham Calligraphy of Sanskriti Hieronyms’ authored by Prof Lokesh Chandra and ‘Sanskrit Manuscripts from Japan, Vol 1’ by Prof. Nirmala Sharma that aims to magnify understanding of rich cultural relations between India and Japan. The books were released by Sachchidanand Joshi, Ashok Chawla, advisor (Japan), Ministry of External Affairs; Ranjana Mukhoupadhyay, University of Delhi; Takashi Kobayashi, First Secretary (PR and Culture), Japanese Embassy; and Janashruti Chandra, JNU. Along with authors, Venerable Khambo Lama of Magnolia were present at the release function.
The book by Lokesh Chandra, a renowned scholar of Buddhism offered an exploration of the history and evolution of Siddham calligraphy. It throws light on its cultural significance in facilitating the exchange between India and Japan. Speaking at the occasion, the author said that calligraphy is the heart of the nation. Siddham is a divine script and unparalleled strength of the Mantrayana way of Dharma in Japan.
“Buddhism became an integral part of Japanese culture. It plays a pivotal role in cementing our relations with Japan. And when we try to foster this relationship, no one other than Lokesh Chandra emerges before us. The two books will lead us in the exploration of our deep-rooted cultural relations with Japan,” said Sachchidanand Joshi.
The second book by Nirmala Sharma marks the onset of a pioneering series featuring facsimile editions of Sanskrit manuscripts from Japan. It comprises thirty-two reproduced facsimiles from the esteemed collection of the Kokiji monastery. The curation takes the readers into the rich repository of Sanskrit manuscripts, thereby facilitating an appreciation of Japan’s contribution towards the preservation of Sanskrit literature.
As the perfect conclusion for the three-day festivities, ‘phoolon ki holi’ or the Holi of flowers painted vibrant hues and filled infinite energy in the atmosphere. Devendra Pal and his ensemble orchestrated symphony of joy infusing the ambience with euphonic symphonies and colourful traditions of Braj. The amalgamation of flowers, music and dance casted a spell of sheer bliss in the air.
P. Ayyappaswami and his troupe engaged the audience with rich folk art of South India by presenting Garagalu, the traditional folk dance form of Andhra Pradesh. The dance form is practiced during festivals to please Lord Shiva. Dhanrani Devi’s group introduced the people to Vasant Raas which reflects the rich culture of Manipur.
The Vasant Raas tradition in Manipur has been followed since a long time on the full moon day of Holi. Following this, Archana Koytara sprayed the fragrance of Bundelkhand by reciting verses of the famous folk poet Isuri.
IGNCA is leaving no stone unturned to expand its horizons. The three days of classical enchantment transported the visitors to a world of majestic melodies and delightful rhythms.
