Guru Pranam Utsav: A festival of music and dance

Celebrating its 35th year, Vaishali Kala Kendra, dance institute in India, formed with the aim of promoting Odissi dance and vocal music is hosting the much-awaited “Guru Pranam Utsav” on April 19 and April 20, 2023 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. This Festival of music and dance will start from 7 pm onwards.

The first day of the festival, called “Dhwani,” is dedicated to music and will feature renowned singer Neeta Mathur presenting Khyal Gayaki and light Indian classical. This will be followed by a performance by Siddharth Kishore, who has been trained in three different styles of music.

The second day of the festival will be dedicated to dance, with performances by Jyoti Srivastava and disciples of Vaishali Kala Kendra presenting Manglacharan, an ode to Lord Krishna, and other captivating pieces. Guest artists Manoranjan Nayak and Raseswari Nayak will present a duet Odissi performance of “Ardhanareshwar,” while Bhadra Sinha and Gayatri Sharma will present a Bharatanatyam duet.

The highlight of the festival will be the “Ramayan” presentation, aimed at instilling life lessons that can be learned and applied in our daily lives. This is Vaishali Kala Kendra’s effort to overcome the impact of the pandemic through dance and make the event successful.

The festival will also present the “Guru Srinath Raut Sahitya Chudamani Samman” award to Maya Das for her selfless contributions to the field of art and culture.
Jyoti Srivastava, the founder and director of Vaishali Kala Kendra in Noida, told Patriot, “The Guru Pranam Utsav festival is organized as a tribute to my late guru, Guru Srinath Raut. Its aim is to recall and reflect on his teachings, and to promote his choreography and work.” She added that Vaishali Kala Kendra is committed to its mission of seeing Odissi rise to the peak of international fame and glory.

“I am thrilled to participate and present my recital in this music and dance festival, which truly represents and showcases India’s rich cultural heritage through classical music and dance traditions,” said Neeta Mathur, a renowned Indian classical vocalist.

Speaking about the Haveli Sangeet, she added, “It is traditional temple music comprising of devotional padas by medieval period saint musicians such as Surdas, Nanddas, Krishndas, and more.”

Siddharth Kishore, the singer, said, “I am pleased to have the opportunity to perform at the Guru Pranam Utsav, where I will sing Raag Madhuvanti Chhota Khayal Teentaal followed by Bhajan. This will be my tribute to the late Guru Srinath Raut.”

When: 7 Pm; April 19- April 20

Where: India Habitat centre, Lodi Road, Lodi estate, New Delhi