The convention, hosted by IIT-Hyderabad, continues through the week with dawn-to-dusk sessions of yoga, heritage walks, and performances, reaffirming SPIC MACAY’s mission to connect youth with India’s intangible cultural legacy.
Hyderabad: The third day of the 10th SPIC MACAY International Convention unfurled a panorama of Indian classical and folk traditions, ranging from Tripura’s gravity-defying Hojagiri to the martial spectacle of Purulia Chhau, and culminating in a spellbinding Mohan Veena recital by Grammy-winning maestro Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
Debasis Reang and his troupe opened the evening with Hojagiri, the centuries-old dance performed by the Reang community to honour Mainouhma, the paddy goddess and incarnation of Lakshmi. Dancers balanced earthen pots on their heads and lamps on their limbs while executing acrobatic torso movements on a single upturned pitcher — eliciting repeated ovations. Tripura Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, who had lauded the inclusion of Hojagiri in his inaugural address, called the performance “a personal highlight” of the convention.
Next came Purulia Chhau from West Bengal, staged by Tarapada Rajak’s ensemble. Dancers in towering masks dramatised the Devi Mahatmya, portraying Durga’s battle with Mahishasura. Thundering percussion and choreographed combat sequences drew cheers as evil was vanquished on stage.
The atmosphere turned contemplative when Padma Bhushan Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt took the spotlight with his modified slide guitar, the Mohan Veena. Opening with Raag Shyam Kalyan, he segued into his Grammy-winning fusion piece, weaving Hindustani ragas with global motifs. The hall fell silent except for the resonant drone, then erupted in a standing ovation.
The convention, hosted by IIT-Hyderabad, continues through the week with dawn-to-dusk sessions of yoga, heritage walks, and performances, reaffirming SPIC MACAY’s mission to connect youth with India’s intangible cultural legacy.
