The three-day long programme of performing arts of the North-Eastern states, Poorvotsav, at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya concluded on Sunday. Audience enjoyed the performances on the last day of the festival. The artists from Manipur presented Basanta Raas where they displayed the eternal love of lod Krishna and Radha.
The Basanta Raas lila, the epitome of Manipur classical dance, reveals the sublime and transcendental love of Krishna and Radha and the gopis’ devotion to the lord. Basanta Raas may be termed as a dance drama of Manipur. In the full mooon night of Chaitra Shri Krishna comes to the appointed grove (Kunja), the gopis led by Radha respond to the call of his flute and they dance together. They play Holi with coloured abir and finally there is the union (milan) and sambhoga of shringar Raas.
After the performance, the artists from Arunachal presented Pasi-Kongki dance. Pasi-Kongki dance is a traditional and popular dance of Adi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. In this dance, the song narrates the picturesque social activities of the Pasi of Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. Here, the aabang (song) narrates how the Pasis used to march on foot from their homeland to the plains to procure iron etc from the market traversing hazardous up and down hills. After procuring iron from the plains, they used to bring them to Pasi Mide (Pasi smith) who in turn used to manufacture, shape and sharpen plenty of daos. The song also glorifies the Pasi tribe and postulates them as the skill maker of daos.
Artists from Nagaland performed a fable of how cotton and clothing were discovered through dance . In the olden days people were mostly half-naked, they only used animal skin, plant leaf and plant skin for covering their body. Women made robes for their husbands. After many years they discovered cotton and began farming and learnt how to make shawl for their children, husband, friends and themselves. At that time they used to sing Holo-i-o lo-he, from there the dance got the name Holo-i-o lo-he dance. The other presentations were Bihu dance of Assam, Cherav dance by of Mizoram, Hojagiri dance of Tripura and Wangala dance of Meghalaya.