Yaksha and Mahashivaratri were four nights to remember, filled with enthralling music and dance from distinguished artists from the diverse sub-continent of India and other parts of the globe.
The Yaksha festival, which comprises three consecutive evenings of cultural performances, started with the amazing violin maestros Mysore Nagaraj and Mysore Dr. Manjunath. The music produced from their violins was nothing short of magical and naturally they received a standing ovation for their remarkable performance. The second night was as wonderful as the first. The artiste was Smt. Meenakashi Chitharanjan, a renowned Bharatanatyam exponent who performed along with her dance students. Their performance focussed on stories from the Ramayana. On the final day, the audience was treated to Odissi dance by award-winning artists Smt. Bijayini Satpathy and Smt. Surupa Sen. The performance was indeed captivating and left the audience spellbound.
After the three nights of Yaksha came the grand finale, the unforgettable and sensational nightlong Mahashivratri celebration! On the 24th of February, people from all parts of the world gathered to enjoy and experience the wonders of this night-long festival. The event was inaugurated by the honourable Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, who unveiled the colossal 112 ft Adiyogi. The Prime Minister spoke about the significance of yoga and how Adiyogi will be an inspiration for years to come for humanity to turn inward.
After the PM’s departure, the cultural extravaganza began. First up was the folk band, Rajasthan Roots, who successfully got lakhs of people on their feet as they played their upbeat traditional yet contemporary folk rhythms. The crowd’s favourite was the talented Kailash Kher who, among other pieces, performed an original track entitled ‘Adiyogi’ whose lyrics were penned by poet and writer Prasoon Joshi. Interspersed throughout the night was the Sounds of Isha. The night also featured the Rockies Troupe from Uganda, who were awesome with their tribal music and African drums, and Bengaluru-based dance company Nritarutya.
In a nutshell, these four nights were mind- blowing, a cultural cocktail filled to the brim, and a lot of fun!
– Vidhata