Cultural Calendar - February 2018 Music Beyond Borders A concert transcending barriers bringing together musicians from India and Sri Lanka 7 Pianist featuring Marialena Fernandes Wednesday Conductor Viswa Subbaraman 7.30 pm Venue: Ladies’ College Hall, Colombo 07 (Tickets and box plan at Lionel Wendt from 22nd January 2018) Sanskarika Newsletter of the Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo February 2018 Sri Thyagaraja Aaradhana - Festival of Carnatic Music Venue: Saraswathie Hall, No.75, Lorensz Raod, Bambalapitiya, Colombo 04 16 All musicians are welcome to participate Friday Rehersals will be held on 14th & 15th February 2018 5.00 pm at 4.00 p.m) Friday matinee Hindi Film - Jolly LLB (with English subtitles. Duration: 2hrs 10 mins) 23 Director & Writer: Mr. SubhashKapoor Friday Cast: Arshad Warsi, BomanIrani, Amrita Rao & Saurabh 3.00 pm Shukla Venue: ICC Auditorium Talk on Vaastu Sastra - “Home décor for prosperity” By S.B.S.Surendran from India 27 Tuesday Venue: ICC Auditorium 6.00 pm Programmes subject to change Published by the Indian Cultural Centre,16/2, Gregory’s Road, Colombo 07. Tel: 011 2684698 Admission to all programmes are on first come first serve basis. Except 7th of Jan. Email: [email protected] Facebook: facebook.com/indianculturalcentre All are cordially invited 2330195 UNIE ARTS, working under very high heat from the mock combat techniques, stylised 21 every year). It is believed to have story of the great Indian epic- The Cultural Tapestry very first stage of moulding the metal gaits of animals and birds, movements its roots in ancient Persia (550-330 Ramayana- it follows the final draft of plates to the final stages of polishing of village housewives. BCE) since Achaemedians and pays the play- “Ramcharitmanas”- from 16th The UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage with tamarind juice and sand. respect to nature in return century by poet Tulsidas. The play is Kalbelia folk songs, dances performed without any props, set elements of India (Ganges) with a believe to cleanse off Sankirtana - ritual singing drumming (Rajasthan) Ramman- festival & ritual theatre design and mostly in open air. Over mortal sins and obtain relieve from the and dancing (Manipur) (2013)- This is also known as the snake charmers (Garhwal-Himalayas) the years, Ramlila performances have At the 2003 UNESCO Convention, an cycle of birth and death. The event These are ritualistic dance dance- performed traditionally by the Also a spring festival- this is performed been incorporated in various countries important observation was provided encapsulates specific knowledge performances amidst the Vaishnava women in flowing skirts, accompanied annually in April in Saloor Village in all over the world- including various a platform- the elements of Intangible about oral traditions and history and community of the Manipur plains by musical instruments- ‘phoongi’ Uttarakhand (North India)- honouring parts of South Asia- e.g. Thailand, Cultural Heritage (ICH). These the science of astronomy, astrology, of North-east India that narrates the (wind instrument) and ‘khanjari’ Bhumiya Devta. It honours the Cambodia, etc. were identified as “the practices, spirituality, ritualistic traditions, and mythological stories of Krishna and his (hand-held cymbals). The music has productive powers of the earth representations, expressions, social and cultural customs and deeds as a human on earth. The long evolved to express their everyday through the performance of The -Tradition of Vedic chanting (across knowledge, skills as well as the practices. performances involve rigorous training life, environments around them, Ramayana through masked dances. India) instruments, objects, artifacts and and are considered very sacrosanct happiness. Local legends are performed called as This incorporates the expression of cultural spaces associated therewith- Yoga (2016) and are deeply moving. ‘Jagar’ which includes the participation the powers of mind and memory that communities, groups and in some A well-known practice today and Mudiyettu- ritual theatre, dance of the entire society. through the preservation of the four cases, individuals recognised as part the world over- the concept of Recitation of Buddhist texts (Ladakh drama (Kerala) • Kutiyattam- Sanskrit theatre (across Vedas- RgVeda (anthology of sacred of their cultural heritage”. To preserve Yoga cuts across all geographical, region, Jammu and Kashmir) (2012) The performance celebrates the India) (2008), hymns), SamaVeda (speaks of various these oral traditions, meant an active race, age, religious, political, gender This represents the sacred texts, victory of Goddess Kali over demon • Ramlila- the traditional performance musical arrangements of hymns from participation of various states and barriers. It is considered that its spirit, philosophy and teachings of Darika and seeks blessings of the of The Ramayana, (across India) the RgVeda and other sources), countries, communities, groups formation took place through the Lord Buddha. The forms of Buddhism Goddess after summer harvest is (2008), YajurVeda (prayers and sacrificial and relevant non-governmental 196 sutras (aphorisms) of the Yoga practiced in Ladakh are- Mahayana and completed. It begins with the drawing • Tradition of Vedic chanting (across formulae used for various rites and organisations. Over the years, this has Sutra Sanskrit text of the ancient Vajrayana. This has four major sects- of a massive image of Goddess Kali India) (2008) rituals) and AtharvaVeda (Incantations, helped to create not only a platform Indian scholar- Patanjali (prior to 400 Nyngma, Kagyud, Shakya and Geluk. on the floor (rangoli/kalam or design spells, well-being chants- beginning of international recognition on a BCE). Having being translated across Several ritual chantings are performed on the floor using coloured powder) Kutiyattam - Sanskrit theatre (across of the use of plants for medicinal global platform, but also been a great many languages all over the world, on important days in the Buddhist and before performance and incorporates India) purposes). The method of learning incentive for safeguarding the ICH even this is considered to be one of the agrarian calendars and the process the sense of a collective participation. Considered the oldest surviving has followed the sacrosanct power of at regional and local levels as well as principal foundations of classical Yoga followed include special bells, drums, • Novruz- India- along with other theatre performance (having its ‘Smriti’ (memory) and ‘Sruti’ (hearing) help to create and encourage cultural philosophy. Indian Yoga ideals have cymbals, trumpets, special robes, countries like- Azerbaijan, Iran, origin more than 2000 yrs ago), this for more than 3,500 yrs. From over entrepreneurship and jobs. Over the also been influenced by The Bhagavad maintaining rhythm. Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey and synthesises Sanskrit and local traditions. 1000 Vedic recitation branches- only last decade, India has successfully Gita, Yoga Vasistha texts attributed to • Chhau dance (West Bengal) (2010), Uzbekistan (2009), The eye gestures (netra abhinaya) 13 survives in present India- noted are featured on the ICH UNESCO list. Yajnavalkya and Hiranyagarbha, as well • Kalbelia folk songs, dances • Ramman- festival & ritual theatre and hand gestures (hast abhinaya) the ones in Maharashtra (West India), as literature on Hatha Yoga, Tantric (Rajasthan) (2010), (Garhwal-Himalayas) (2009) are very prominent- coupled with Kerala and Karnataka (South India) and Kumbh Mela (2017) Yoga and Pashupata Yoga. • Mudiyettu- ritual theatre, dance sophisticated breathing techniques Orissa (East India). The festival of the Sacred Pitcher- this drama (Kerala) (2010) Novruz- India- along with other for swift muscle movements of face is the largest peaceful congregation Traditional brass and copper craft of countries like- Azerbaijan, Iran, and body. Qualified actors undergo of pilgrims in the world- comprising utensil making- among the Thatheras Chhau dance (West Bengal) Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey and 10-15 yrs of rigorous training and the of ascetics, saints, aspirants-kalpavasis of Jandiala Guru, Punjab (2014)- A masked dance, it is traditionally Uzbekistan elaborate play lasts upto even 40 and visitors- without any barriers of Thatheras make utensils from metals performed by men- enacting Celebrated as a spring festival to days. It begins by lighting a lamp to caste, creed or religion. Held every (brass, copper and certain alloys) by episodes from Ramayana and welcome a new year, the word Nav signify the divine presence. four years by rotation at Allahabad, hand- which are exported to various Mahabharata and is traditionally mean New and Roz means Day. By Dr. Lopamudra Maitra Bajpai Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik- it witnesses temples and Gurdwaras all over the performed during Spring festival- the It marks the 1st day of the Spring Ramlila- the traditional performance Visual Anthropologist (specialisation in the congregation taking a dip or world. The manual labour-intensive Bengali traditional New Year in April Equinox and the beginning of the of The Ramayana, (across India) Intangible Cultural Heritage, history and bathing in the waters of the Holy Ganga manufacturing process involves (14/15). It incorporates folk dances, traditional New Year (around March A ritualistic performance of the popular culture).