Art, Aroma, Applause Fill Kala Mahotsav Day One
The turnout surprised even the organisers, who said the visitor count had crossed 6,000 by early evening and was expected to hit 7,000 by the end of the day.
Hyderabad:A steady crowd, especially families, formed at Rashtrapati Nilayam on Saturday, hours after the second edition of the Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav was opened to the public following its inaugural by President Droupadi Murmu on Friday. The turnout surprised even the organisers, who said the visitor count had crossed 6,000 by early evening and was expected to hit 7,000 by the end of the day.
“The First day has been very promising. We have already passed last year’s numbers. Families came together, and school groups earlier in the morning. This is going strong,” said Kumar Samresh, one of the officials coordinating the festival. “Food stalls have been a big hit. Rajasthan’s counter especially. Also our celebrity chef for the day, Manjit Gill doing his own cuisine at the tourism kitchen, was another highlight. Celebrity chefs will each make one special dish on different days.”
Western India’s craft and heritage is also a big part of the festival this year. “I made a Taj Mahal using a thousand matchsticks. It took one year and nineteen days,” said Salim Shaikh, a national awardee from Ahmedabad who works with micro-carving in graphite and matchsticks.
He had prepared a small piece for the President, which he handed over during her walkthrough on Friday. “The President was very happy,” he said. This was his first visit to Rashtrapati Nilayam and Hyderabad, and he spent most of the day explaining his craft to schoolchildren.
The coconut-shell craft stalls from Goa, was exceptional. National awardee Vijaydatta Lotlikar had set out polished bowls, ladles, lamps and carved figures on his table. “A lot of people came today. The sales were very good,” he said. He travelled with support from Goa’s handicrafts department and brought hundreds of designs. “People tell me they eat coconuts every day but never imagined the shell could turn into something like this.”
Other stalls offered cane baskets and lamps, seashell jewellery, silk-thread necklaces, pottery, kaavi art panels and embroidered bags. Artisan groups from all western states and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu lined both sides, displaying Kutch bandhani, Paithani, Kolhapuri chappals, pattu cotton weaves, Kota Doria and Kumbi sarees.
Samresh said the footfall picked up after lunch and continued without a dip. “Last year we had six thousand on the first Sunday. Today there are already over 6,000, and we still have the evening cultural events and NIFT’s fashion show,” he said.
Performers rehearsed for the night’s programme in the open courtyard, with instruments from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli placed near the stage. Performances include dhol-tasha, lezim, samai, ghumat vadan, talvaar raas, garba, kaalbeliya and laal angi gair throughout the week. The literary corner opened with Gujarati poet Kirtida Brahmbhatt’s session on writing for young readers. The event will continue till November 30, from 10 am to 8 pm, with last entry at 7 pm. Entry is free.