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NCPA - Living Traditions: Festival of Madhya Pradesh
10 - 11 March 2023, 6:30 pm at Experimental Theatre
Over the two days, 95 artistes comprising six well-known troupes from various parts of Madhya Pradesh, will present music, dance and folk theatre forms. Each presentation will be introduced with an appropriate sociocultural and aesthetic context.
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NCPA - Living Traditions: Festival of Madhya Pradesh

10 March 2023 | 6:30 pm

Kabir songs by Jagdish Boriala group
The works of Kabir (c. 1425-1505) and other saint poets have had pride of place in the cultural heritage of the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. These are preserved and propagated through oral tradition of the region. Couched in Malwi language, the musical renditions are based on diverse melodies, reflecting a folk flavour characteristic of the region.

Raee nritya by Devki Ram Kushwaha group
Raee is a popular dance form prevalent in the region of Bundelkhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Performed by veiled female dancers, it is meant to celebrate victory in war. The movement of the body and feet are accompanied by vocal music and instruments like algoza, mridang and daphali.

Bundelkhandi folk drama by Sandeep Srivastava group
Translated from the works Kafan and Poos Ki Raat, originally written in Hindi by the great novelist, Munshi Premchand, Sadhau Ghisu Mare Na Madhau is a theatrical adaptation presented in the folk style of Bundelkhand.

11 March 2023 | 6:30 pm
Bagheli folk song by Roshni Prasad Mishra & Prajit Kumar Saket group
The Baghelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh has had a long tradition of performing songs that are associated with different rites of passage from birth to death. The group will present songs such as sohar, anjuri, mundan, barua, madba, banna-banni, karma and such others associated with various stages in human life.

Gangaur folk dance by Vishal Sakalle group
Performed during the first month of the Hindu calendar (Chaitra), the festival of Gangaur celebrates the union of lord Shiva (Gan) and his consort, goddess Gauri or Parvati. Bedecked in colourful costumes, both married and unmarried women dance merrily to the accompaniment of rituals and folk songs, seeking the blessings of the holy couple.

Bagheli folk drama by Neeraj  PKunder & Roshni Prasad Mishra group
Based on a traditional belief that a child born with its feet coming out first, has magic in its feet, Latmarba is a folk story of one such person, Jiyaman. At first, unaware of his miraculous power, he struggles through life. However, upon realising the gift that he is endowed with, his life changes forever. Presented through the medium of Bagheli songs and dance, this folk drama conveys a socially significant message.