Chhattisgarh’s Culture mesmerizes audience at India International Trade Fair on State Day

New Delhi, November 18, 2011

It was an evening filled with Chhattisgarh’s rich art and culture at Pragati Maidan in India International Trade Fair-2011. Artists from various districts of the state mesmerized thousands of audience with their performances at Lal Chowk Theatre here on the occasion of Chhattisgarh Day celebration. Governor Shri  Shekhar Dutta , Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Shri Dharamlal Kaushik, Tourism and Culture Minister Shri Brijmohan Agrawal, CSIDC Chairman Shri Badridhar Diwan and other dignitaries were present in the function. The Chief Minister along with other guests visited the Chhattisgarh Pavilion and interacted with craftsmen and artisans.     

    A ‘pandwani’ performance by internationally-acclaimed artiste Ritu Verma marked the beginning of the musical evening. Pandwani is a musical narration of tales from ancient epic Mahabharata. The noted artiste enacted and sung the stories of pandavas in her unique style and made the audience stick to their seats. Her narration of the entire episode of the epic was as lively as it almost recreated the scenes in the minds of the viewers.

    A passionate performance by ‘Buthlurama’ and group from Narayanpur district was the next to cast a spell on the entire audience. The group showed ‘Kaksar dance’ especially performed at the time of marriage. Boys in the troop wore a peculiar looking dress with a belt of bells tied round their waist. The melodious music and the tinkling bells combined to create an enchanting atmosphere. The rhythm and melody of the music accompanied with the dance created a soothing affect.

    The last program was a presentation of ‘Lok Manch’ by Lalji Shrivas and group from Bilaspur. Lok Manch is a compiled presentation of local song and dance of Chhattisgarh. Spectators appreciated the performance with a big round of applause. CSIDC Managing Shri Director Devendra Singh and Secretary Culture Department Shri Manohar Pandey were also present on the occasion.