Art & Culture
Three-day fest at the Gaiety Theater Shimla by Himachal Cultural Research Forum & Theatre Academy Mandi
SHIMLA- Artists from Himachal Cultural Research Forum & Theatre Academy Mandi brought their productions on stage for city theater lovers. The three day festival was organized by Academy in association with Indian Cultural Ministry, Department of Language Art and Culture Himachal Pradesh and Language Art and Culture Academy Himachal Pradesh at the historic Gaiety theater.
During the festival three plays were staged including Baki itihaas which was inspired by Badal Sarkar’s play and directed by Yashraj Yadav. Play forced the audience to retrospect about their self-centered and monotonous lives. The question that is posed before us is that, “Are we really living a meaningful life?” people are getting indulged in various vices and in spite of living in a close relationship we all have skeletons in our closet which can force us to take our own lives as it happened with the character in first half.
In other half of play, the suicide of the same man was given new outlook as this time he played a teacher who goes insane after an incident of getting attracted to a young child sexually. He is haunted by his thought as he caught some student watching porn in class which was a mirror to his thought for that young girl that was killed by bandits.
Mohandaas directed by Sukumar Tudu was based on novel written by Uday Prakash showed a struggle of young Mohandas born in a poor family. He manages to get an important job at the ‘Oriental Coal Mines’. However, his success story is brutally disrupted when somebody steals his identity and takes his place in his name. A tale of identity theft becomes a searing condemnation of bureaucratic corruption and conspiracy.
Last but not the last Eida Bhi hua directed by Seema Sharma and based on Anton Chekhov’s stories was staged. This one was a completely different play as it had variety of emotions including insensitivity of man towards another man who he pays to see him drown on one hand whereas on other story of a father who considers himself to be ultra modern and takes his son to a sex worker as his birthday present.
Soon he realizes he is not that strong and instead takes his son to buy an umbrella as a gift.
Play also offered a story of a Casanova who always manages to win hearts of married women but this time his new catch stirs his inner core and ultimately he becomes a sober married man and only to meet fellows like him.
The whole festival was in good taste as spectators enjoyed the shows. Cast for all the play was same and hence dialogues were missed here and there and there were times when actors repeated their dialogues.
However, considering the overall impact it a good break for the audiences as well as the hall that only sees tourist admiring its heritage structure or being visited by many field associated people to revitalize themselves after strolling on mall.
Art & Culture
Use Offerings Made at Himachal’s Hindu Religious Institutions Only For Hindus, Employ Only Hindus: HP Govt
Shimla-The Additional Chief Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Language, Art & Culture Department has issued a notification barring the use of offerings made at the Hindu religious places or institutions for non-Hindu Communities.
Directions in this regard have been issued to Commissioners (temple) under Section 27 of the Himachal Pradesh Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1984.
“All the receipts or offerings including gold and silver of the Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments shall be used only for the purposes pertaining to the welfare and other activities relating to only Hindus. No receipts or offerings shall be used for the purposes associated with activities relating to Non-Hindus,” the notification said.
Further, now, no non-Hindu person would be given any sort of employment at the Hindu religious institutions/places.
“All the officers and officials including the personnel related to security etc. whether appointed or deputed or taken on outsourcing basis shall be out of the persons professing the Hindu religion only,” the notification said.
No further clarification was provided regarding the intended purpose of this move.
Art & Culture
Kullu Dussehra 2021: All Religious Ceremonies to be Allowed, But No Commercial and Cultural Events
Shimla-The International Kullu Dussehra would be organised from 15th October to 21st October, 2021, the Himachal Pradesh Government informed today after holding a meeting regarding the same.
The HP Government has decided that all deities would be invited for the Dussehra festival. Orgnaization of all religious ceremonies would be allowed traditionally, but the cultural and commercial activities would not be held.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presided over meeting of State Level Kullu Dussehra Committee. Directions were given to ensure proper security system, uninterrupted electricity supply and adherence of Covid-19 guidelines.
It was also decided in the meeting that Language, Art and Culture Department would provide an additional amount of Rs. 10 lakh to district administration Kullu for organising Kullu Dussehra festival.
Art & Culture
Wah Re Corona: Himachali Folk Artist’s Lyrical Satire is Factual Rendition of India’s Agonizing Catastrophe
Shimla-Otherwise blatantly vocal and distinctively mass-mobilizing government of India is suddenly in the most subdued self after its proclaimed victory over the deathly virus; participation in uncontrolled election rallies; and permitting maha melas. The stalwarts are in the hiding, while helpless citizens – who voted them into power not once but in landslide victories twice – are dying due to lack of oxygen, poor – unavailable – medical facilities, and the denial stance of the ignorant in the helm.
Drawing a comparison between the fatal coronavirus and the mismanagement of the entire situation by the appalling government; a Himachali folk artist has released a factually appropriate lyrical satire that will tickle your mind and leave you to imagine what has brought this catastrophe onto us. The song is written by Rameshwar Sharma and music by Lalit Sauta.
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