Dehradun-26 April 2022- On 12th day Virasat started with a Sit-and-Draw Art competition held in the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium, Kaulagarh Road. The topic of the match was, “what is our heritage?” One hundred seventy- eight students were asked to draw and colour anything related to their heritage and culture. The Horizon School, Doon International School, Him Jyoti School, Sri Guru Ram Rai School, FYLFOT Public School, Kendriya Vidyalaya UPPER CAMP, Kendriya Vidyalaya ONGC, Kendriya Vidyalaya ITBP, Olympus High School, Tula’s International School, St. Jude’s School, The Montessori School, St. Kabir School and Jaswant Modern School participated. On 28th April the results for the same will be announced.
The night began with Dhrupad by Anuj Pratap Singh. He is the first Dhrupad artist from Bhind, Chambal division. He received his first musical training from his father, Shri Gajendra Singh Kushwah, Shri Gyan Singh Shakya and Shri Ram Mohan Mishra. Anuj has done a Master’s in Music, and Dhrupad Kala Ratna and Prabhakar in Violin and Vocal. At the age of 17th, he turned towards Dhrupad and got selected in the first scholarship batch of Dhrupad Kendra. He started learning Dhrupad from Shri Abhijeet Sukhdane in Guru Shishya Tradition in dhrupad Kendra Gwalior under Raja Mansingh Tomar Music and Arts University Madhya Pradesh Sanskriti Parishad, respectively.
He has performed in various festivals like Tansen Samaroh, Dhrupad Mela Varanasi, Bhavbhuti Samaroh, Raja Chatrasal Festival Panna, and he is a recipient of an NCPA scholarship. Moreover, he got a special award in akashvani Shastriya Sangeet Pratiyogita 2014. Anuj Ji performed the raga Chandrakauns, “Chalo Sakhi Braj Bein Dhoom Machi” with Aditya Deep Ji, Aditya Sharma and Sunil Bhadauriya (Tanpura). Raga Malkauns followed the performance, “Shankar Girijapati Parvathi Pateeshwar”. Anuj Ji was pleased to return to Virasat after performing with his Guruji in 2019. The next performance was by Rajat Prasanna, who belongs to an illustrious lineage of music. He is an Indian Classical Flautist from the Benaras Gharana. Rajat Ji learnt Indian classical music from his grandfather Late Pandit Raghunath Prasanna, and his father, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasanna.
Moreover, he has performed widely at various music festivals and prestigious venues across the nation, including WORLD FLUTE FESTIVAL, Raasrang, Delhi International Arts Festival Neemrana Fort Palace, and Hariballabh Sangeet Mahasabha. Furthermore, he has performed in Switzerland – World Economic Forum, Spain, Portugal and Egypt – Festival of India, France and Mauritius. Later at night, Rajat Prasanna performed Alap Jor Jhala Vilambit Ek Taal. Followed by Raga Shyam Kalyan and Raga Jog. After that, he played a few Banarasi tunes ending his presentation with the tune of Peelu; Shubh Maharaj Ji performed with him on tabla. REACH was established in 1995 in Dehradun and has continued to organise the Virasat Festival ever since. Their aim is simply to preserve the value and essence of Indian art, culture and heritage and to bring these cultural values to the masses.
Virasat has been instrumental in reviving many rural arts which were once on the verge of extinction due to a lack of an audience. The festival has played an essential role in preserving and reviving our village’s traditions, music, dance, crafts, painting, sculpture, theatre, storytelling, traditional cuisine, etc. and bringing them into practice in these modern times, because of which our classical and contemporary arts have started being recognised once again. Virasat 2022 promises to mesmerise you and take you on an unforgettable and enthralling musical and cultural
journey.
