An Enchanting Evening at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Chandigarh
Chandigarh: The 5th day of a week-long Art and Cultural Fest’23 unfolded at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chandigarh to celebrate human connection with a touch of magic. This magnificent event is a collaborative effort of the Infosys Foundation, Bengaluru and the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chandigarh and Bengaluru Kendra, was an event of grand magnitude.
The Chief Guest for the day was Prof. (Dr.) Neera Grover, Honorary Professor, Department of Music, Punjabi University, Patiala and Former Head, Music Department, SNDT University, Mumbai. The Guests of Honour, Shri. R. K. Saboo, Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chandigarh Kendra, Smt. Nagalaxmi Rao, Member, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Bengaluru Kendra, Shri Jagesh Khaitan, Vice-Chairman and Treasurer, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chandigarh Kendra, Shri. Manmohan Singh Kohli, Chairman Cultural Committee and Shri Madhukar Malhotra, Honorary Secretary, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chandigarh Kendra graced the occasion with their presence.
The event commenced with the lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries followed by a mesmerizing musical performance ‘Magical and Soulful Melodies’ by the in house vocalist, Ms. Poonam Rajput. Her impressive list of achievements includes scintillating performances on Patiala Radio station, Mh1, Sony TV, and other music channels. She is also the winner of the National Youth Festival in 2008 in the semi-classical category.
Her rendition of shlokas and verses, along with songs centered around the theme of unity, crafted by Ms. Jyoti and Ms. Sonika of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh, was met with resounding applause and admiration, creating an unforgettable and magical experience for all attendees. Accompanying her were Mr. Surinder Kumar on the keyboard, Mr. Gautam Dhar on tabla, and Mr. Deepak on guitar, all accomplished artists in their own right.
Mr. Surinder has not only won numerous awards at the Youth Festivals, Shimla University but has also shared the stage with renowned artists both nationally and internationally.
Mr. Gautam, winner of ‘Rashtriya Yuva Utsav 2004’, boasts the distinction of being a gold medallist at the prestigious Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan.
Mr. Deepak has showcased his musical prowess at various national events, further solidifying the musical depth of this ensemble.
The ‘Soulful Strings: Binding the Universe’ reverberated around the auditorium as the musicians, Mr. Sukhwant Singh and Mr. Vinod, enthralled the audience with their musical notes, casting a spell upon all present. Mr. Sukhwant Singh, one of the finest violinists of the Tri-City, has won many individual prizes in the Youth Festivals.Mr. Vinod has composed music for many award winning Marathi movies and documentaries.
The atmosphere still resonating with the enchanting music, the audience was taken to yet another magical world by ‘By the Bay,’ a contemporary dance show presented by Ms. Puneet Jewandah and Ms. Kritika Sharma. This performance transcended the boundaries of traditional dance, taking the spectators on a sojourn from duality to oneness. It was a visual contemplation, an ode to the interconnectedness of all. Ms. Puneet Jewandah, started her dance training in Bharatnatyam and then at Broadway Dance Centre, New York and further pursued performing arts from Trinity College, London. She has been teaching and performing for the last 16 years and is currently running her own art performing company – The Engine Room with her collaborator Ms. Kritika Sharma. Ms. Sharma is a free style dancer and a performing artist and has also pursued performing arts from Trinity College, London. The duo believes in the medium of free expression and original movements. With the aim of creating audience for contemporary dance, they have directed and performed in many musicals and fashion videos.They were awarded the Women’s Achievers Award 2020 by Lifestyle Journalist.
As the evening neared its conclusion, Dr. Neera Grover, the Chief Guest, extended her heartfelt appreciation to the remarkable initiatives undertaken by the Infosys Foundation, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Chandigarh and Bengaluru Kendra. She emphasized that these exceptional endeavours hold the promise of sustaining and nurturing art and culture in our contemporary era.In a gracious gesture, she acknowledged and celebrated the exceptionally talented artists in attendance.
