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A Maharashtra colour to Kerala’s celebration Tourism Trail

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Apart from featuring the finest artistes of the country and showcasing the traditional handicrafts and cuisines of various regions, Kerala Tourism’s Nishagandhi festival has also emerged as a stage for other States to showcase their dance and art forms.

Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa, and Rajasthan have had the privilege of staging programmes at the annual festival over the years. Artistes from West Bengal got the opportunity to showcase their skills here last year.

Maharashtra is the partner-State for the 2008 edition of the dance-and-music fest being staged on the sprawling Kanakakkunnu Palace grounds. The colours and rhythms of Maharashtra are being spread out on the Sooryakanthi fair ground by the Mumbai-based Ekta group at the invitation of Kerala Tourism.

Since Monday, the 30-member group has won the hearts of those who throng the venue to watch their programmes.

Set up in 1982 by Vijendra Chavan after seeing the dance performances of other States at the Asian Games held in Delhi, it is Ekta group’s maiden visit to Kerala to stage programmes. Lavni, Naman, Dindi, Balya, Koli, Bhupali, Shetkari, Lezim Nrutya, Vasudev Nrutya, Vaghyaya Murali, Gondhal Geet, Bail Jodi, Maharashtra Geet, Dhankar, and Balaya Nrutya were among the dances that were performed.

The three-performances every day at the Nishagandhi festival focus on the rich folk dances of Maharashtra. The group members are also well-versed in the dance forms of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Manipur, Goa and Rajasthan. From Kerala, they can perform Kaikottikali with ease.

“Our programmes reflect unity in diversity. The group is a platform for the young to ensure that folk music and dance lives on. We have trained over 1,500 students,” says Naveen Chandra Suvarna, music director and lead singer of the group.

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