May 02 2016, 12.20 PM IST || Pocket News Alert
· The festival was presented by Sahitya Kala Parishad and Department of Art and Culture, Government of NCT
· Hindustani classical music veteran Pt. Chhannulal Mishra; popular singer Anuradha Paudwal; Sufi singer Harshdeep Kaur among singers who performed over 3 days
New Delhi, May 1, 2016: Hindustani classical music veteran Pandit Channulal Mishra enraptured the audience with his musical rendition of the poetically beautiful Ram Charit Manas in the final act at the Bhakti Sangeet Festival that came to an end today after three days of enchanting devotional musical performances.
The three-day festival held at Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, was presented by Sahitya Kala Parishad and Department of Art, Culture & Languages, Govt of Delhi.
The last evening of the festival saw Uday Bhawalkar vow the audience with his performance of one of the most ancient styles of Hindustani classic music, the Dhrupad; and Dr Shobha Raju mesmerize the listeners with her renditions of Ram bhakti bhajans. This was followed and Pt. Chhannulal Mishra’s performance that brought down curtains on the three-day festival.
Over three days, 11 singers from different genres of devotional music came together to perform at the unique platform that serves to unify the multiple traditions of Indian devotional music into a singular tradition.
Among the leading names who participated in the festival included Anuradha Paudwal, Harshdeep Kaur, Kumud Diwan, Shubha Joshi, Nitin
Sharma and Warsi brothers.
India has been a home to an unparalled range of multiple traditions of devotional music, from popular bhajans that are sung everyday inside homes and temples to devotional folk music perfected by bhakti saints, to the heart rending vocals of qawwalis played at dargahs.
“In different cultures and languages, people develop and nurture their own devotional traditions. Expressions of love and devotion when combined with the magic of music tend to magnify this intangible impact on the human consciousness. In a way devotional music speaks through a universal language and always strikes a chord with people who have this quest to connect to the Ultimate Reality, no matter its form or language. It was a pleasure to perform at the Bhakti Sangeet Festival that brought together a crowd of discerning bhakti lovers and multiple traditions of bhakti music,” said veteran Hindustani classical singer Pt.Chhannulal Mishra, whose performance will end the three-day festival.
“Every language, every culture, every folk tradition has its own way of appealing to the Almighty and connecting people through the message of love and humanity. The Bhakti Sangeet festival is a unique platform that brings together people from different genres of music and unites them by their love for the devotional music,” says leading singer Anuradha Paudwal, who will open the festival with her renditions of popular bhajans.
About Sahitya Kala Parishad
Sahitya Kala Parishad, the cultural wing of the Government of NCT of Delhi was setup in 1968 for the promotion and propagation of Art and Culture in Delhi. Hon'ble Chief Minister of Govt. of NCT of Delhi is the Chairperson of the Sahitya Kala Parishad. As one of the most interactive departments of the Delhi Government, Sahitya Kala Parishad for the past three decades and more has been carrying out its mandate with full vigor and dedication. The Parishad has, on one hand, revived and projected the age old, time tested traditions of the country and on the other hand, it has tried to encourage and provide platform to the new and innovative trends in performing arts which represent our lives and times. Parishad's programmes are, at the same time, deep rooted in traditions and also branching out towards open skies crossing the boundaries of caste, creed, color and geographic limits. Its projects and programmes concentrate more on youth, women and weaker sections of society.