Art & Culture
This remote Himachal village is hosting a week-long unique festival of art
KANGRA- A remote village of Himachal Pradesh, Gunehar, located in Bir, Kangra Valley is hosting ShopArt ArtShop (SA AS) – a unique conceptual arts project that brings out emerging artists, alongside established artists, to this remote village for a month-long project ending in a week-long festival of arts, culture, exhibitions, movies, fashion shows and drama.
The fun part is that these acknowledged contemporary artists spend 30 days living among the rural people and, meanwhile, transform the entire village into a large canvas where these artists undertake various art projects depending on their respective fields. It could include anything from graffiti art, short films, cultural or local food exhibit to movie show. The entire village becomes a complex during the last week where each artist has his month long work of art on display. The villagers have taken to fondly calling SA AS 2 their own ‘mela’.
The village had hosted the event for first time in 2013 which had brought together 13 contemporary artists for the month-long arts event to Gunehar, creating quite a ‘buzz’ among art insiders.
This year also witnessed internationally renowned artists like Ketna Patel, Puneet Kaushik and Vibha Galhotra among others. Now, all the village along with villagers is gearing up for week long festival from June 7 -14.
ShopArt ArtShop is first to present art beyond the confines of the contemporary city-based art scene. It offers an opportunity for artists to come together in a fully-funded month-long residency organised by the 4tables project, where they are free to experiment in the unique environment of the village, explore new methods, and for emerging artists to receive the support and mentoring of seasoned practitioners.
These artists do not operate in isolation from the village and the villagers, but rather are encouraged to engage with ‘hosts’ as much as possible. New bonds and relationships are formed across many divides, giving everyone who touches the project and is touched by it new thoughts and emotions about art and about the village as a venue for it. The resulting art works reflect the ability of artists to transcend boundaries between rural-urban, traditional-modern, national-global.
For this year’s edition, among others,SA AS 2 is features, internationally renown artists Ketna Patel, Puneet Kaushik and Vibha Galhotra! and Puneet Kaushik as co-organisers, alongside Frank Schlichtmann, the initiator of the event. All have worked tirelessly to bring the latest edition to fruition.
A group of other excellent artists such as Mudita Bhandari, KM Lo, Gargi Chandola, Sheena Deviah, Amrit Vatsa and others compliment the great cast of artists with their contemporary disciplines and concepts.
SA AS 2 also features an innovative and interactive netart platform -Virtual Village, which can be visited virtually via official website of ShoP Art Shop
The project is now well underway and ready for the festival starting from 7-14 June, and is inviting artists and villagers to visit and witnessed amazing combination of rural socio-economic setup and various works of arts.
Shimla– This clip of the the Singhtu dance, a captivating and popular folk tradition from Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district, was captured at the Seepur Mela held in Mashobra recently.
It is a cherished jewel in the state’s rich and diverse cultural mosaic. This mesmerizing performance, steeped in ancient traditions, enjoys immense popularity, enchanting audiences on both local and international stages. In the Sirmauri dialect, “Singhtu” refers to a lion cub, and in Hindu mythology, the lion is revered as the sacred vehicle of Goddess Durga, lending profound spiritual significance to the dance.
Performed exclusively twice a year during Diwali and Ekadashi, the Singhtu dance is a ritualistic offering at temples and sacred sites, where it has been presented since time immemorial.
Performers don intricately crafted masks depicting animals such as lions, bears, leopards, and mythical forest beings, which are brought out from temples only for these occasions.
These masks, combined with the dancers’ rhythmic movements, vividly evoke Sirmaur’s ancient culture, transporting spectators to a bygone era while celebrating the region’s deep connection to nature.
Himachal Pradesh is a vibrant tapestry of unique traditions, with each district showcasing distinct folk dances, music, and rituals that reflect the state’s multifaceted heritage.
The Singhtu dance, blending spirituality, artistry, and environmental consciousness, stands as a powerful testament to this diversity. Beyond its aesthetic allure, it conveys a timely message of wildlife conservation and environmental preservation, resonating with global concerns.
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.
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