New Delhi, 7 January (H.S.): The cultural presentations being organized under the Rural India Festival at Bharat Mandapam have become the center of attraction for the people. The mesmerizing presentations of the five-day Harvest: Rhythms of the Earth include Durga Stuti, Kavya Raaga, Odissi dance, and works of Karnataka.

This cultural festival continues the process of honoring the strength and simplicity of rural India with the display of its vibrant artistic traditions and rich cultural identities.

The cultural presentations organized on Tuesday, the fourth day of the five-day Harvest: Rhythms of the Earth being held at Bharat Mandapam, mesmerized the audience. This program is a part of the Rural India Festival organized by NABARD under the aegis of the Department of Financial Services. Conceptualised by Sanjeev Bhargav of Sahar, it celebrates the diversity, folklore, crafts and musical traditions of rural India. The event began with the devotional tunes of Durga Stuti from the temples of West Bengal, which was soulfully rendered by Pandit Mukul Mishra. This was followed by Chinmayi Tripathi and Joel from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra presenting a unique amalgamation of poetry and music through Kavya Raag, which was well received by the audience.

Sharmila Biswas and her group from Odisha gave a wonderful performance of folk music through Odissi dance which mesmerized the audience. The day concluded with a soulful performance of Carnatic music by Sudha Raghuraman and her group from Tamil Nadu, which brought alive the depth and richness of Indian classical music.

Harvest is celebrating the creativity and cultural heritage of rural India by providing a live platform that connects the audience with the rich traditions of India.

Sahar founder and director Sanjeev Bhargav said that people often do not get to experience rare art forms like Pung Cholom or Kashmiri folk music. Sahar aims to bring these unseen cultural traditions on stage. We do in-depth research and select artists who represent North, South, East, West and Central India. The concept of Harvest is in line with the theme of Rural India Festival, which showcases art forms related to the daily life of rural India.

Visitors can enjoy this wonderful cultural festival at Hall No. 14 of Bharat Mandapam from 5:30 pm to 8 pm every day till January 8.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar