Your cultural dose isn't complete without a visit to the 30-day carnival of art and culture by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts
Your cultural dose isn't complete without a visit to the 30-day carnival of art and culture by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts
Spin doctors, international bands and belly dancers are fine but until we're not served something desi, our craving don't vanish. If you too want to re-live the spice of India, you must plan a visit to the Tradition of Mahabharata, a month long cultural event that started last week. Be it kids, teens or adults, there's something for everyone. 
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For the movie buffs, they are showcasing classical movies like Shyam Benegal's Chalchitra, Peter Brook's Mahabharata and Maya Bazar by KV Reddy. You can try some mouth watering dishes and let your taste buds swirl in delight with gastronomic delights at Bhim ki Rasoi, the food section. The International symposium section, The Living Traditions of Mahabharata, would see experts from India and abroad present papers. Making Mahabharata in the Himalayas, Moral dilemmas in Mahabharata and Regional Dynamics of the Mahabharata are some of the topics to be discussed here. Padmashri awardees and other national award winners would stage cultural performances Nalacharitam (Kathakali) and Chakravyu.
Shop till you drop
Also, handcrafted and intricately designed items like Tanjore dolls, Kavad and Phads of Rajasthan and Madhubani from Bihar would be on display for sale. If you want to revisit the glorious age of Mahabharata and gain insights into its traditions, you can visit the Mahabharata book fair.
"The festival brings folk and tribal traditions like Draupadi Amman cult from South India consisting of fire-walking and other ritual performances, Agni Nritya from Rajasthan, a unique transgender festival, the Aravan Thiruvizha and martial art forms among others," says Dr Molly Kaushal, associate professor and head of Janpada Sampada division at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts.u00a0 The objective of this cultural fest is to showcase and understand the collective imaginary of a vast culture of Mahabharata with many contradictions and deviations operative vibrantly in different parts of the country. Now since the Rain God has made the days cooler, what better could be a time to visit it.
Schedule:
Exhibition (Sacred Geography and Aesthetic Expressions) till March 10
Mahabharata Book Fair and Bhim Ki Rasoi (food stall) till February 25
Literary Evenings (featuring contemporary evenings, Mahabharata for Children etc) -- February 18 to 24
Master Craftsmen Workshop cum Sale till February 25
Chalchitra (Mahabharata Film Festival) --u00a0 February 17 to 24 (11 am to 6.30 pm)
International Symposium: The Living Traditions of Mahabharata -- Last day today (10.30 am to 6.30 pm)
At indira Gandhi National Center for Arts, 1, CV Mess, Janpath
On Till March 10
Call 23383590
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