Dastaan-e-Kathak

Delhhiites will witness cultural event, which will bind the interdisciplinary art forms into one to celebrate the great storyteller Pandit Birju Maharaj. The celebration aims to create a mind space among the younger generation on Indian traditional art forms.

Spread over two days, February 3 and 4 at multiple venues in Delhi, the event will not only have multi-disciplinary dance forms but music and poetry as well. Conceptualised by dancer and disciple of the Pandit, Shivani Varma, the aim of the festival is to commemorate his birth anniversary on February 4 as World Kathak Day.

Highlights of the event:

1. Multidisciplinary dance forms performance with supporting percussion like Bharatnatyam with Mridangam; Sattriya Nritya with khol to highlight a few
2. Musical Performance – Khayal by Pt. Sajan Mishra (son-in-law of Birju Maharaj)
3. Muzzafar Ali’s presentation on Lucknow, home of Birju Maharaj
4. Photo exhibition on Birju Maharaj by Innee Singh
5. Unveiling of mural on Birju Maharaj at Lodhi Art District
6. Performance by legendary flautist Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia

The vision of this initiative is to inspire future generations to be an engaged community of Rasiks (informed connoisseurs of the arts).

Day One at Sunder Nursery: The evening will begin with an audio-visual retrospective on Pt Birju Maharaj titled ‘When You Dance’, an experiential walk down memory lane by one of India’s most celebrated performing arts photographers, Innee Singh.

This will be followed by an interdisciplinary act ‘Tat Tvamasi’, inspired by Maharaj ji as a poet and percussionist. This piece directed by Shivani Varma, will be a live presentation of five different traditional dance forms by young dancers along with the accompanying percussion to show how all dance forms are based on a common source of laya, taal and raga.

The next act is a piece on Lucknow by master storyteller, Muzaffar Ali. He will present stories from Lucknow, inspired by Maharaj’s love for the place along with a dance performance.

The evening will conclude with a musical tribute by maestro vocalist Pt Sajan Mishra, who will intersperse his recital with personal anecdotes and stories about Maharaj.

Day Two at Lodhi Art District: Around 3.30pm, a first of its kind, Art Mural on Maharaj commissioned at the Lodhi Art District at New Delhi will be unveiled by maestro flautist, and Maharaj’s contemporary Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, along with esteemed personalities from the dance fraternity. This Mural will be prominently located and is being designed and executed by St+Art India.

When: February 3 – 4; 6.30 pm
Where: Day 1 at Sundar Nursery; Day 2 at Lodhi Art District, Lodhi Road, New Delhi