Amrit Yuva Kalotsav: An evening of music & drama enthrals all at BHU

Varanasi: The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (youth award)-2020 recipients enthralled the audience on the second day of the ‘Amrit Yuva Kalotsav’- a youth centric festival organised by Sangeet Natak Akademi in collaboration with the Ministry of culture, Government of India and faculty of performing arts, Banaras Hindu University on Wednesday.
The artistes, in categories of vocal, instrumental, dance and drama, presented a colourful performance at the university auditorium. The event commenced with the felicitation of veteran classical vocalist Padma Shri Rajeshwar Acharya and Sitar maestro Padma Shri Shivnath Mishra.
Kishore Haridas Whatkar, gave a spectacular presentation through his lecture and demonstration on Tabla —‘Tabla Nirman.’ He was followed by V Prakash Ilaiyaraaja who started his performance with the invocation Paraparaparmeshwar of Lord Vishweshwar on the instrument ‘Nagaswaram’ of South India. The lyrics were set in ‘Taal Adi’ and ‘Raga Vachaspati’. He gave a wonderful rendition of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Annapurne Vishalakshi’ composed in Raga Shyam and Taal Adi. Thereafter, ‘Vaishnav Jan To’ composed by Sindhu Vishweshwar, dedicated to Ustad Bismillah Khan, was presented in Raag Malika, followed by a presentation of another South Indian percussion instrument ‘Mijavu Thayambaka,’ the main accompaniment in Kuttu and Kutiyattam, by Vinish Kunju.
In a series of folk music performances Abhishek Nigam and his fellow artists of Madhya Pradesh enthralled the audience with Santdas Narayan’s composition ‘Vaari Jaaoon Re, Balihari Jaaoon Re’ followed by Mirabai’s composition ‘Hamre Satsang Ma Hamre Bhajan Ma’, Sant Bhawani Nath’s composition ‘Mat Kar Kaya Ko Guman, Mat Kar Maya Ko Abhiman’, Sant Brahmanand’s composition ‘Jogan Ban Jaungi’ and Meerabai’s composition ‘Keshariyo Rang Rootho Nai Bhave Rang Ma.’ After this, ‘Mand’, a folk song of Rajasthan, was presented by Kheta
Khan Manganiyar and his group gave a first-hand experience of the rich art and culture of Rajasthan to the audience. The programme concluded with a play named ‘Nadi Pyaasi Thi’ directed by Mr Sarfaraz Hasan staged on the occasion.