Apart from classical performances, a naval band was part of this year’s Virasat Festival

If you ever dreamt of attending a classical euphony and creation festival that besides doubles up arsenic a showcase for handicrafts and culinary delights, past Virasat Festival, held precocious successful Dehradun, is the answer. One of the longest-running festivals successful India, it is held for 15 days with 3 to 4 performances each evening.

In its 30th variation this year, the festival, isolated from classical and people arts, featured a naval band. It opened with a performance by sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and concluded with vocalist Manoj Tiwari’s performance. Usha Uthup, ghazal artistes specified arsenic Ustad Ahmed Hussain, Mohammed Hussain and Osman Mir were portion of the enactment up. The beingness of young artistes specified arsenic vainika Ramana Balachandhran, vocalist Anirudh Aithal, sitarist Adnan Khan, sarodist Pratik Srivastava and violinist Yadnish Raikar heightened the interest. As for dancers, determination was the U.K.-based Odissi artiste Arunima Kumar and Kathak artiste Shinjini Kulkarni. Manjari Chaturvedi premiered her accumulation ‘Patiala, the royal gharana’, which focussed connected Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of the Patiala-Kasur gharana. It was a well-crafted accumulation that combined storytelling, euphony and dance.

Despite the logistical challenges, the festival is managed by a radical of euphony lovers from the region.

A unpaid and media absorption student, Parvesh, shared: “It is 15 days of hectic activity, with truthful overmuch coordination that determination is hardly immoderate clip to relax.” His senior, Vijayshree, who took attraction of the virtual aspects of the lawsuit believes, it is “important to impact the youth; erstwhile they conscionable exponents specified arsenic Begum Parveen Sultana, they are bound to beryllium inspired to link with the arts. I person been progressive with the the festival since I was a pupil and it has changed maine a lot.” 

This variation besides progressive students of UPES University, who got the accidental to interact with artistes. “I judge this acquisition volition permission a large interaction connected students,” said festival curator R. K. Singh.

It was intolerable to acquisition each that Virasat had to offer; but immoderate concerts stood out. Shashwati Mandal’s show was 1 such. Belonging to the Gwalior gharana, she started her grooming nether her parent Kamal Mandal. She further hones her skills nether galore gurus, including Pt. Balasahib Poonchwale, acknowledged arsenic an authorization connected ‘tappa’. He besides introduced her to the Agra gharana repertoire. She learnt immoderate aged compositions from Pt. Madhup Mudgal. Her concerts usually see antithetic bandishes arsenic she makes it a constituent to contiguous works of modern and Gwalior gharana composers. 

Shashwati started her performance with raag Jaijaiwanti, a commonly known raag, which would entreaty to a divers audience, including first-time listeners of classical music. The bandish was the accepted Ek taal vilambit khayal ‘Bairan jagi naveli’. Her wide dependable brought retired each nuance of the raga. Next, she sang a uncommon bandish thumri successful raag Bageshwari ‘Balamaa aayo’ successful Rupak taal, composed by vidushi Meera Rao (one of Shashwati’s gurus), disciple of Pt. Kumar Gandharva.

A tarana successful Teentaal, composed by Pt. Kumar Gandharva, completed the set. Next, she sang a tappa, thing she specialises successful — it was successful Khamach; intricate and wonderful. She ended with a sargam geet (again a speciality of the Gwalior gharana), composed by Pt. Ram Ashray Jha. She was accompanied by her disciple, Chinmayee Athale Oak. On the tabla and harmonium were 2 stalwarts of the Benaras gharana — Pt. Mithilesh Jha and Pt. Dharamnath Mishra — who enhanced the concert’s entreaty with their due interventions.