City artists create ripples with their art at national cultural festival

Nagpur: A 650 strong contingent of artists, among whom, many are from the city are making waves at the National Cultural Festival which opened on October 15 at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi. The event sees participation by the seven cultural zones of India and is organized by the central ministry of culture every year.
City based SCZCC representing Maharashtra and six other states has set up a special zone designed on the Buddhist circuit which includes landmarks in the city, Vidarbha and its other states.“The tourism ministry has earmarked huge funds for the development of Buddhist circuit. As the major areas of the circuit fall in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, we decided to have it as the theme of our pavilion,” said Piush Kumar, director SCZCC.
“Drawing huge crowds and curiosity are also the artists and members of Sanskar Bharati who are conducting a rangoli art workshop. Live demonstrations are also happening where portrait rangoli artists are drawing characters from Ramayana. “The artists are drawing popular episodes like Jatayu vadh and this being the season for Ramlila’s it is finding a lot of audience,” Kumar added.
Popular programmes of SCZCC like Mujhe Kuch Khena Hai, which also encourages public participation and daily quiz programme to test cultural knowledge has been organized at Muktangan for visitors to put to test talents and cultural IQ. On Oct 21 SCZCC will occupy the main stage to present a scintillating performance by percussion artist Siva Mani, musician Louis Banks, Sitarist Ravi Chari and table artist Ojas Aadhiya and a lavani presentation by Maya Jadhav’. The Dhol Pathak group Shiv Mudra of the city too won accolades with their performance in the national capital.
Books ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ and ‘Aharya’, collection of folk and tribal art and modern photographs from Simhastha Kumbh, Ujjain in May this year, edited by historian Alka Pande will be. A shadow puppet show by artists from Andhra Pradesh and exhibition and sale of artefacts made by artists of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra is also been organized. “There is also a painting exhibition in which Buddha for the first time is being depicted through traditional, tribal and folk art,” informed Piush Kumar.