Praatigya aims to preserve Chhattisgarh’s artistic heritage through cultural exchange
Raipur: In an initiative aimed at preserving Chhattisgarh’s rich artistic heritage and connecting traditional performers with younger generations, the Sangeet Natak Akademi organised the state’s first edition of ‘Praatigya’, a cultural experience-sharing programme, at IIT Bhilai on Thursday. Held in collaboration with the Centre for Studies on Culture, Language, and Traditions (CCLT), the event featured leading exponents of the state’s classical, folk and tribal art forms.
The programme featured lecture-demonstrations by classical, folk and tribal art exponents from the state, including Kathak maestro of the Raigarh Gharana, Padma Shri Pandit Ramlal Bareth; Baiga dance exponent Padma Shri Arjun Singh Dhurve; and Nacha folk theatre exponent Kashiram Sahu. Padma Shri Anup Ranjan Pandey, founder of the Bastar Band, and Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee Dhaniram Kadamiya also attended the event.
Welcoming the guests, IIT Bhilai Director Prof. Rajiv Prakash felicitated the visiting artistes. He stated that Praatigya would help preserve the artistic heritage of Chhattisgarh. He added that IIT Bhilai aims to connect school and college teachers and students with traditional performing artistes and incorporate regional art forms into the academic curriculum to encourage cultural learning.
Disciples of Pandit Ramlal Bareth opened the performance session with a Kathak recital, followed by a lecture-demonstration by Bareth on the characteristic elements of Raigarh bandish and taranas. Nacha exponent Kashiram Sahu illustrated how folk theatre uses humour and satire to address social themes, performing a solo comedic sketch in the Chhattisgarhi dialect. In the final segment, Arjun Singh Dhurve and his troupe presented the Baiga dance, demonstrating ritual songs and traditional movements central to the ceremonies of the Baiga community.
IIT Bhilai Registrar Wing Commander Dr Jayesh Chandra S. Pai felicitated the artistes at the conclusion of the event. Deepak Joshi from the Sangeet Natak Akademi and Dr Anubhav Pradhan, Associate Head of CCLT, delivered the vote of thanks.
