CULTURAL DIARY

happy coincidence, that at Delhi, where he composed and sang his immortal songs, eminent musicians of the younger generation are paying homage to him by singing his compositions. And it is the proud privilege of the Sangeet Natak Akadami to present it." The day's programme began with a Shehnai recital by Bismillah and party who gave a rendering of Kanra. The famous Dagar Bro­ thers sang four compositions of Tansen in Desh, Bihag, Basant and Suha. March A portrait of Tansen enlarged from a con­ TANSEN URS temporary painting was presented to Bharatiya Kalakendra by the Sangeet Natak Akadami. Delhi NDER the auspices of the Sangeet Natak DRAMA SEMINAR U Akadami Tansen Drs was celebrated in New Delhi on the opening day of the Delhi Annual Music Conference of the Bharatiya Kalakendra. Men and women prominent in the Smt. Nirmala Joshi, Secretary, Sangeet world of drama from all quarters of the Natak Akadami read a paper on "Tansen and country assembled at the Sapru House his tradition." on 25th March to attend the first Seminar on In her paper Smt. Joshi observed: drama organised by the Sangeet Natak "Tansen was not a mere individual genius Akadami. but one of the most well-known products of a rich and very fruitful period of Indian cultural Inaugurating the Seminar Dr. Radha­ upsurge." krishnan said: "We cannot make people Tansen "evolved not only the Dhrupad, but good by acts of parliament. Nor is it possible also new melody types of which Durbari Kanra, by constitutional provisions to remove deep­ Mian Ki Malhar, Mian Ka Sarang are well­ seated social prejudices. But through the known ....He not only possessed the know­ medium of drama it is possible to set standards ledge but also the competence to combine these of social behaviour." various elements into his compositions which "Through poetry and drama" he added, gave genuine aesthetic satisfaction to the "man reveals himself to himself. He mirrors listners ...." his soul, he expresses the desires, the urges, Smt. Nirmala Joshi made a fervent appeal the hopes, the dreams, the successes and fail­ to re-evaluate our musical heritage in terms of ures in his struggle to make himself at home in the tradition left by Tansen. If we do so "we the world. All literature is the expression of will inevitably come to the conclusion that there intensity of feeling." must be perfect unity between poetry, rhythm, rag and rasa, for this is the essence of all good Referring to the range of the drama, Dr. music ...." Radhakrishnan said the whole plentitude of "It is a sign of the times," concluded Smt. the dramatists inner vision was applied to the Joshi, "that the annual Tansen Drs is being full extent of the world, to all its depths and revived in a big 'lay this year at Gwalior and a heights. 63 Referring to the role of actors, the Vice­ of Dance, Drama and Music was held in President said that an actor must be able to ins­ Patna from the 14th to 18th March 1956. pire in his audience the feelings of the character Justice S. K. Das, Chairman of the Aca­ he represents ....The actor must not be demy in the course of his welcome address overwhelmed by emotions but interpret them said "this kind of function is in the truest in intellectual terms. sense a unique and impressive manifestation of the cultural unity of India." Bihar, he Dr. Radhakrishnan expressed the hope added "has a long-standing musical tradition that the deliberations of the Seminar would and the musician of Bihar have made their rouse public interest in the country's theatre contribution in the past to the development movement and art of drama and result in the of Indian music...... improvement of dramatic standards. Shri P. V. Rajamannar, the Chairman of the While inaugurating the festival Shri R. R. Sangeet Natak Akadami said that if the theatre Diwakar, Governor of Bihar and President was to be of any significanceit must necessarily of the Academy said "It is Bihar's fortune to celebrate the Second National Music Festival be an embodiment of the contemporary life of musi~ the nation, otherwise the theatre would cease a festival which embraces all aspects of to be a living force. in this vast country. Indian music dates back to very ancient times and it is difficult to get "There is nothing in contemporary life and m~ny thought that will not provide a theme for a its sides represented fully. Still, the great play, so long as of course there is port­ organisers have left no stone unturned to rayal of something living." make necessary arrangements for the Pleading for a glorious revival of the session " - dramatic art in the country, he hoped the The eminent musicians who participated seminar would devise ways for the development in the five-day programme of the festival of stage-craft. The Sangeet Natak Akadami were: gave a reception to the delegates to the Drama Vocal. Seminar on the same evening followed by a Amir Khan, Bade Gulam Ali, AItafHussein, ballet on Holi, Kesar Bai, Gangu Bai, Girija Devi, Bhimsen In their week-long deliberations the Joshi, Rasoolan Bai, D. K. Pattamal participants discussed papers on the progress Prasoon Bannerji, Dagar Brothers. Raghu ~f drama and theatre in various languages Jha, Nilima Lahiri, Hari Shanker Misra, like Assamese, Malayalam, Hindi Urdu Ram Chatur Malik and others. Bengali, Gujerati, Marathi, Tamil,' Telugu' Instrumental: Kannada and Punjabi, besides papers o~ BismiIla Khan (Shehnai), Govind Rao Sanskrit drama and Tagore drama. Bur~anpurkar (Pakhawaj), Mustaq ali, The problems of production and technique Ravi Shankar and Halim Jaffar (Sitar). ~ere covered by a numbe~ of papers on profes­ Dabbir Khan (Veena), Shakkoor Khan, sional and amateur stage m various parts of Gulam Sabir and Gopal Misra (Sarangi), ~e c~>untry. T~ere was also some general Radhika Mohan Moitra (Sarod), Kishan discussion on Indian Theatre in the context of Maharaj, AlIa Rakha, Habibuddin and world theatre and on traditional drama and Mehdi Hussein (Tabla) Gajanan Rao plays of today. Two papers were devoted to Joshi (Violin). ' the problems and growth of children's theatre April in India. The Seminar has succeeded in bringing into A cultural delegation sponsored by the sharp focus the essential nature and problems Union Ministry of Education left for South ofthe growth of our theatre. East Asia on 14th April under the leadership of Shri Prithviraj Kapoor. March After touring Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines the SECOND NATIONAL MUSIC delegation returned on 7th June, 1956. The FESTIVAL delegation consisted of distinguished dancers like Smt. Mrinalini Sarabhai, Chathuni Panni­ Bihar kar, Singajit Singh, Suryamukhi,.Tombinou The Second National Music Festival and other artists of Nrityashram, Manipur, and sponsored by the Sangeet Natak Akadami musicians like Ustad Ishtiaq Ahmad (Sarod) and organised by the Bihar State Academy and Ram Ganguli (Sitar). 64 FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL Bombay

A 5-Day Folk Dance Festival was celebrated The Tanjore Art Exhibition was inaugurated at Bombay organised by the I~d!an on Saturday, 12th May by S. Venkateswaran, National Theatre Bombay. 18 troupes consisting Vice-President of the Sangeeta Nataka Sangam. of nearly 400 members from various parts of ~he The proceeds of the exhibition were to be given country participated in the Festival, which to the Raja Sarfojee College. began on 19th April, 1956.

The Indian National Theatre had built a huge semi-circular stage to give a panora1?ic' view of the performances to the large gathenng STATE AKADAMI of audience. Some ofthe troupes invited were the Akadami's Trophy holders of the Folk Calcutta Dance Festivals in Delhi.

A step towards advancement and enrichment GURUDEV'S BIRTH DAY of Bengal's Culture was taken when the State Chief Minister Dr. B. C. Roy laid the founda­ CELEBRATION tion stone of the Academy of Dance, Drama Calcutta and Music inside the compound of Rabindra Bharati Bhavan at Dwarkanath Tagore Lane, Jorasanko. The Academy will be housed in a three storeyed building which is proposed to be A five-day festival in celebration of Tagore's constructed by the State Government at an 96th birth anniversary was organised by Gita­ estimated cost of Rs, 5!- lakhs. While inaugu­ bitan. The festival opened with Tagore's rating the function Dr. Roy referred to the drama "Natir Puja". Inaugurating the festival, noble iufluence which music exercises on the Professor Siddhanta said it was an inspiring mind of the individual as also on the nation as task to interpret properly and bring home to a whole. the people the inner beauty and significance of the poet's writings. He hoped that the teachers and students of the Academy would, through music, hold aloft before the people the rich contributions which May Rabindranath had made in this field. FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL Madras FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF ALANKAR The first Madras State Folk Dance Festival Bombay organised by the Madras State Nataka Sangham was inaugurated on Saturday 12th May by Mr. J. Abdur Rahim, District Judge ofTanjore at the open-air theatre, Art Gallery, Sur-Singar Sam sad celebrated the first Tanjore. anniversary of its music circle "Alankar" with a four-day music and dance festival at the CiJ. The three-day festival was attended by over Hall Bombay. 170 artists from all the districts in the South. The programme included Kummi, Pinn~l On behalf of the Samsad the Governor of Kolattam, Villupattu, Bommalattam, Lavani, Bombay who inaugurated the festival presented Oyil Attam and Dummy-horse dance. a shield' to Ustad Bismillah Khan, this year's 65 Akadami Award holder for instrumental music. dramatic clubs and institutions of the State Artists who participated, included: staged 14 plays. Bismillah Khan; A dance-drama "Sakhi Gopal" in Odissi Nissar Hussain Khan (vocal); style was presented by the artists of the Kesar Bai (vocal); Parishad on the day of inauguration. Begum Akhtar (vocal); Sitara Devi (Kathak); The Festival was inaugurated by Orissa's Bala Saraswati (Bharat Natyam); Finance and Education Minister Sri Radhanath Ali Akbar Khan (sarod); Rath who spoke of the pioneering work under­ Ravi Shankar (sitar); taken by the Parishad in conducting research Uma Shankar (sitar); on the ancient Odissi music and dance forms Sharan Rani Mathur (sarod); and revitalising them. V. G. Jog (violin); Pannalal Ghosh (flute). CULTURAL DELEGATION

MUSIC AND DANCE CENTRES At the invitation of the Governments of Patna the U. S. S. R, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Rumania, Poland, Yugoslavia and Hungary an Government of Bihar has sanctioned a sum Indian delegation of musicians and dancers of Rs. 2000/- for the purchase of musical instru­ visited these countries. ments for the music and dance centre to be opened in the Local Chapman Government The delegation led by Mr. A. K. Chanda, Girls H. E. School. Similar Centres will also Deputy Minister in the Ministry of External be opened at Patna, Bhagalpur and Ranchi, it Affairs left Delhi on 10th July and returned in is understood. The music centre wiII impart October after a very successful tour. The training to teachers. delegation consisted of eminent artists like Sitara Devi, Vilayat Khan, Shanta Prasad, June Bahadur Khan, Nirmalendu Chowdhury, Kumari Sharda, and others. DRAMA FESTIVAL Delhi September A Summer Drama Festival was organised by the Song and Drama Division of All India UNIVERSITY FOR MUSIC Radio-About 200 artists drawn from Madras, Nagpur Rajasthan, Delhi and Allahabad participated in the festival which lasted for a month. Smt. Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Indira Four dramas and 2 puppet' plays were Kala Sangit Viswa Vidyalaya, a university for staged.. Out of the Four Dramas, three dramas music at Khairagarh. The University which is were intended to arouse popular interest in the the first of its kind in the country will have the Five-Year-Plan, while the fourth was a Hindi faculties of Fine Arts, Music and Dance. version of Bhasa's Sanskrit classic "Swapna Vasavadatta". . It is housed in the 100-roomed palace The plays were put up at the pleasantly donated by Raja Bahadur Birendra Bahadur situated open-air theatre at the Talkatora Singh, the former ruler of Khairagarh- Gardens. The University is a growth from the Indir~ Sangit Vidyalaya established in 1944 by Ram July Padmavati Devi of Khairagarh in memory .of DRAMA FESTIVAL her second daughter, Raj Kumari Indira Devi. Cuttack Inaugurating the university Smt. Indira Gandhi hoped that the Vidyalaya would The Utkal] Nrutya Sangeet Natyakala undertake research in the ancient art of Parishad organised the first Drama Indian music without which "our cultural Festival which lasted for 2 weeks-prominent development would not attain perfection". 66 KATHAKALI IN HINDI competition in the programme were arts and Trivandrum crafts, drama, radio play, classical dancing, vocal and instrumental music, group singing The Rajpramukh of Travancore-Cochin and group dancing. The festival which is inaugurated the premiere of a Kathakali play an annual feature attempts to provide opportu­ with Hindi lyrics staged by a Kerala Troupe. nities for the young men and women from the Universities to exhibit their skill in fine This is the first time that a play in Katha­ arts, music, drama, etc. kali has been rendered in a language other than Malayalam. SADARANG MUSIC CONFERENCE FESTIVAL OF DANCE AND Calcutta MUSIC Kashmir The third session of Sadarang music Con­ ference of Calcutta was held in September. A festival of dance and music was held at The artists who participated were Srnt. Srinagar, Kashmir, when thousands of visitors Mogu Bai Kurdikar, Amir Khan, Bade Gulam to the valley were acquainted with the ancient Ali Khan, Smt. Girija Devi, Ravi Shankar, culture of Kashmir. Kishen Maharaj, Ali Akbar, Alia Rakha, Dabir Khan, Sharan Rani Mathur, Brij Mohan The festival was inaugurated by the Sadar-i­ Maharaj and Roshan Kumari besides a number Riyasat who took the salute at a mass youth of local artists. rally of over 5000 students of various schools A unique feature of the Conference was an and colleges of the State at the Polo Ground, Orchestra presented in the Kirwani Raga by the Srinagar. The same day a cultural pageant Ali Akbar College of Music directed by arranged in six tableaux was carried through Annapurna Devi and Ali Akbar. the city. Each tableau displayed the way of life and cultural aspects peculiar to the State represented. The states being Laddakh, WORLD THEATRE Kargil, Kishtwar, Bhaderwar, Jammu and CONFERENCE Kashmir. Bombay The programme consisted of a feast of music, dance and colour, a number of evenings The First World Theatre Conference was held being devoted to music in which leading musi­ at Bombay from the 29th October to 3rd Novem­ cians participated. Besides the folk dances like ber, 1956; under the auspices of the Interna­ Bhangra, Bachnagma, Gilgati, Pakhtoon and tional Theatre Institute, which is affiliated to Laddakhi, Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Kathak the UNESCO. and Manipuri were performed for the first time The Conference, inaugurated by Sri M.C. in authentic style in Kashmir. Chagla, the acting Governor of Bombay, was attended by over 100 delegates from 40 count­ A famous Kashmiri Opera "Heemal­ ries including the USA, UK, USSR, France, Nagrai" was performed at the Open-Air Theatre. Yugoslavia, Italy, Netherlands, China, Japan, Another colourful feature was the Mushaira at Indonesia and Burma and 25 Indian delegates which the life and works of the Kashmiri poets representing every branch of theatre movement of the past were brought to light. in India. While inaugurating the Conference the October Governor expressed the hope that the Confe­ YOUTH FESTIVAL rence would devise ways of supporting and Delhi organising a National Theatre Movement for the good of the people. The Third Inter-University Youth Festival Smt. Kamladevi Chattopadhyaya, President organised by the Union Ministry of Education of the Bharatiya Natya Sangh, the centre which was celebrated at the Talkatora Gardens from organised the World Conference. was unani­ 22nd to 27th October. The various items of mously elected President of the Conference.

67 Welcoming the delegates, Sri S. K. Patil, rajapuram Visvanath Aiyar, Chembai Vaidya­ Chairman of the Reception Committee, said: natha Bhagavathar and Vidwan T. Chowdiah India was very lucky in having been chosen as were felicitated on the occasion of their the venue of the first World Theatre Conference "Shashtiabdapoorthi" at a function organised by which would coordinate the theatre movement the Jagannatha Bhakta Sabha Egrnore, Madras. in various countries and give them the neces­ sary impetus and a world appeal. In her presidential address Smt. Kamladevi said that CULTURAL FUNCTION FOR powerful challenge had been thrown to the U.N.E.S.C.O. DELEGATES theatre by the film and now the television but "it is in the very nature of things that the Delhi theatre can hold its own if it is maintained as a living expression of a people". She referred to the theatre as "an effective medium and The UNESCO Session held in Delhi in instrument for the transmission of East-West November was packed with special cultural influences " functions. Sri Prem Kirpal, Director, cultural section Delegates from 76 countries had an of UNESCO conveyed the greetings of the opportunity to see the best of India's Art and UNESCO to the Conference. Culture during their stay.

November The Sangeet Natak Akadami organised a TANSEN MUSIC CONFERENCE series of cultural programmes. Calcutta The first of the programmes was the The Ninth Session of the All India Tansen Deepawali, the festival of lights. The Tal­ Music Conference held towards the end of katora Garden was converted into a miniature November provided classical music of a high village where the peculiar features of village order. fares in various regions of the country were presented. There were shops selling cloth, Veteran artists like Pandit Omkarnath bangles, toys, sweetmeats. Acrobats performing Thakur, Ustad Alaudin Khan and Pandit breath-taking feats, the magician snake­ Kanthey Maharaj were the principal charmers and puppet players were drawing participants. large crowds. Gaily attired women were Apart from Saraswati Rane, Manick grinding corn and singing songs in a hut typical Verma, Sandhya Mukerji, Vilayat Khan, Imrat of Uttar Pradesh while a group of women Khan, Bhimsen Joshi and Ali Akbar a number were performing Teratali, a folk dance of of local artists took part in the Conference. Rajasthan. The Kavadi dancer from Tamilnad and dummy horse dances and Karakam dances from .Bangalore, Garba dance-from Bombay FOLK DANCES and Bhavai dance from Rajasthan formed the Lucknow other attractions. Myriads of light and wonderful fire works contributed to create the A programme of folk dances of Uttar atmosphere of a village estival. Pradesh sponsored by the Information Depart­ ment was held at the Bhatkhande University on 14th November to celebrate the birthday of Other programmes presented by the Pandit Nehru. Seventeen items were presented. Akadami for the delegates consisted of a selected and varied cultural fare of music, The running shield for the best dancing team dance, ballet, film and opera. A special went to the Tehri-Garhwal troupe for their feature of the 12-day programme was a "Chauphala" dance. series of items presented by the Children's Little Theatre. - MUSICIANS FELICITATED Madras The Ministry of Information and Broad­ casting treated the delegates to a rich fare of The well-known musicians, Vidwans Maha- films and songs. 68