A week long Kathak festival, held at various places across Delhi ended on 29 March. The festival was organized by the Kathak Kendra, a wing of the Sangeet Natak Academy. The festival was a treat for its patrons and was a showcase of India’s culture to the MTV generation that is perhaps not much interested in this rich tradition of cultural expression.
Artists from various cities such as Pune, Mumbai and Kolkata participated in this Mahaotsav (festival) that was dedicated to late Rohini Bhate ji, the great Kathak exponent. The entry was free and all shows were houseful. The crowd cheered equally for the young disciples and their elder gurus.
Many foreign tourists had also dropped in to have a glimpse of the classic Indian art form. Tanya a cultural enthusiast from Russia said that she felt ‘rejuvenated’ after the performance and even showed her interests in learning the fusion of Kathak and Sufi.
What was saddening though was the lack of sponsors despite a heavy footfall. Sangita Chattejee, a trained Kahtak Dancer lamented on the disinterest of the corporate world.
Geetanjali Lal, the great Kathak exponent herself and a Kathak trainer at the Kathak Kendra, had no complaints though. “The Government allocates enough funds to organise festivals and to train people. So we don’t face any real problem”, she clarifies. She also expressed her happiness on the successful accomplishment of the festival.
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