An aura of festivity filled the air as local artistes from Chhattisgarh performed folk dance forms at the ongoing Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2015 which opened in Haryana on Sunday.Performance by Chhattisgarh’s ‘Bastar Band’, a musical ensemble which performs unique dance forms of various tribes of Bastar, enthralled thousands of audience present at the ‘Chaupal’.
The audiences were enchanted by the musical extravaganza of over 40 tribal musical instruments and energetic dance moves. The dancers, wearing uniquely decorated ornaments and headgears, enthralled the crowd with their exceptionally beautiful performance.Tinkling bells and ghungroos tied to their body created heart warming musical sounds making the environment livelier. The band formed by Anoop Ranjan Pandey preserves and promotes the tribal dance and music of Bastar.
The next in the line was a ‘Pandawani’ performance by internationally-acclaimed artiste Padma Bhusan Teejan Bai. 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 so lively that it almost recreated the scenes in minds of the viewers.
Dewar Karma, another folk dance from Chhattisgarh (a form of karma dance) was also staged. Dewar Karma folk dance is associated with the fertility cult and is related to Karma festival that falls in the month of August. Karma dance symbolises growth of green branches on trees during the spring season. Chhattisgarh is the ‘Theme State’ of the mela this time round. The State is showcasing its handicrafts, traditional art and culture. About 100 stalls are exclusively for craftsmen of Chhattisgarh.
lebanon is the co-partner nation in organising the Mela. Craftsmen from over 18 countries are taking take part in the mela. There are 766 stalls like ‘work huts’ for craftsmen. Fifty stalls are for handloom products, 36 dedicated to dress material made up of Kosha silk and 17 stalls to ‘Mati Kala Board’ for terracota clay products.
The venue has been decorated with walls carrying the famous ‘Godna’ painting of Chhattisgarh. Replicas of lord Ganesha Temple at Barsoor in Dantewada district and ‘Rudra Shiva’ of Tala, Bilaspur district will attract a large number of curious onlookers.Surajkhund derives its name from the ancient Amphiteatre ‘Sunpool’ constructed in the 10th century A.D. by Raja Suraj Pal.
More than 300 artists from the remote areas of Chhattisgarh worked day and night to bring alive the culture and tradition of the State in SurajkundMela, officials stated. Apart from the famous Dhokra art depicted at the Chhattisgarh gate, the visitors can also have a glimpse of ‘Madai mela’ and ‘Haat Bazaar’ of Chhattisgarh. The mela ground is showcasing bamboo art and huts of tribal people decorated with paintings.
