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Maharashtra's annual cultural festival Kalidas Samaroh to begin on Sunday
18 Nov 2016, 08:47 am
Mumbai, Nov 17 (NITN): Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) in association with Nagpur-based Kalidas Mahotsav Samiti, will hold the 18th edition of the Kalidas Festival, from Nov 20 to 23, 2016.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, will inaugurate the Festival on Sunday at the Nandiwardhan (Nagardhan) Fort in Ramtek, about 50km away by road from Nagpur.
The Festival is an ode to India's great Sanskrit poet and playwright Kalidasa, who wrote plays such as Abhijñānaśākuntalam and Mālavikāgnimitram and epic poems such as Raghuvaṃśa and Kumārasambhava.
It is believed that it was the beauty of Ramtek that inspired Kalidasa to pen his famous lyrical poem, Meghadūta.
Dr. K.H. Govinda Raj, Managing Director of MTDC said, “The Kalidas festival was first organized by Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation in the year 1996 to promote Ramtek as a tourist destination. Travelers coming here during the festival will not only get to know about cultural heritage of Maharashtra but they can explore this region, which possesses a varied wildlife and several places of interests. The four-day festival aims to boost tourism in the state.”
On the inaugural day, there will be classical music by Pt Bhavani Shankar and Uma Shankar, a Kuchipudi dance performance by Bhavana and Yamini Reddy and a Sufi and folk performance by Guru Bharati Bandhu at the Nagardhan Fort.
Amish Tripathi, author of the bestseller, ‘The Shiva Trilogy’ will give a talk on his interpretation of Shiva and his imprint on dance and music at Vasantrao Deshpande Hall in Nagpur.
Performances between Nov 21 and 23 will be held at Dr. Vasantrao Deshpande Hall from 5 pm onward.
Reputed classical artists will perform on various days.
Headliners include classical musician Rahul Sharma, vocalist Kalaapini Komkalli, flute players Debopriya and Suchismita Chatterjee, Mohiniyattam and Kathakali dancer Dr. Neena Prasad.
There will also be semi classical vocal by Rahul and Rohit Mishra and a Kathak performance by Shama Bhate.
The event will conclude with a vocal presentation by maestro Pt. Ajoy Chakrovarty.
Swati Kale, General Manager, MTDC said, “Kalidas Festival upholds the rich and historic culture of Nagpur, the orange city. It features some of the well-known exponents of dance, drama and music from all over the country. The festival is a tribute to Kalidasa's great contribution towards the field of Indian literature. The focus is to increase tourism in the state and to promote our culture and rich heritage.”
Image: MTDC website
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