PANAJI: Jyotirgamaya, a unique festival to showcase the talent of rare musical instruments from across the country; including street performers, train entertainers, performers attached to temples, etc, was held in New Delhi.
Meenakashi Lekhi, Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Culture and Parliamentary Affairs, and Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Culture were present.
On the occasion, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Culture, presented a special performance of Kabir Gayan. He explained the importance of Kabir tradition saying that we need to understand Sant Kabirdasji’s vision to understand Indian culture.
In her address, Meenakashi Lekhi said that it is the responsibility the youth to take forward our rich cultural history. She added that the rare instruments played during the festival have given voice to the people even at times when the words failed to get them heard in society.
Lekhi felicitated the senior most artiste of Brahm Veena, Ananda Bag. This was followed by presentations of artistes on various rare musical instruments. Secretary, Sangeet Natak Akademi extended his heartfelt gratitude to everyone for making the event a success.
The 5-day festival showcased the talent of unsung performers from all corners of the country. Each day, 15 performers displayed their artistry. This was achieved through a social media campaign whereby entrants were asked to send a small clip of their performance. The entries were reviewed and a total of 75 performances were selected after considering the recommendations of eminent musicians and several institutions of repute.
A live exhibition was organised in Lalit Kala Gallery displaying the making of musical instruments like the Kamaicha, Ravanhatha, Rabab, Pung, Sarangi, Jodiya Pava, Khol which hail from various parts of our country.
Simultaneously, there were workshops conducted on the making of rare musical instruments such as the Maddlam, Rudra Veena, Dukkad, Shehnai and Nadaswaram, which was visited daily by artists, scholars, researchers, students, etc. with enthusiasm. An exhibit of 20 rare musical instruments was also curated.
