“I had never thought I would be able to experience this in my lifetime. I had heard about it only from my seniors. So, the opportunity came as a surprise and I was left overwhelmed. It was really a privilege and wonderful, amazing experience,” Bharatnatyam exponent Geeta Chandran says.
Chandran and her troupe gave the opening performance at the 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival that was held on the premises of the world heritage group of temples after 44 years through a special permission. And not only Chandran, but also a clutch of artistes, who used the temples as a perfect backdrop and setting to give mesmerising performances for six days, were left as overwhelmed by the experience just like the art lovers who came to watch them.
“I wish all the other states/organisers also use the popular public spaces in a similar way to democratise art and culture performances and bring them out of the limitations of elitist auditoriums,” Chandran told THE WEEK.
Indore-based painters and sisters-in-law Pratima Singh and Seema Singh, whose families hail from Khajuraho, could not stop showing the photographs and videos of the performances that they captured. “It was really out of the world to watch the performances with that exquisite backdrop. You have to watch it yourself to know the experience,” Seema Singh said.
And the temple backdrop was not the only thing that was special about the festival this time. Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board actively collaborated with the culture department and its Ustad Allauddin Khan Music and Arts Academy and the Sanskritik Parishad to give a wider experience to the art lovers and tourists who participated in the festival.
The festival was themed ‘Beyond the Dance Festival’ and on the sidelines of the daily evening performances, there were a clutch of art- and craft-based daily activities. They included a travelogue focused on Bharatanatyam dance forman art conclave, a dialogue on arts, a fair of indigenous art tradition, a venture of films focusing on art, artists and art traditions, an exhibition of terracotta and ceramics ware a Bundeli food festival, and a fest of folk culture and tradition to keep the real art and craft lovers engrossed.
But the real variety was provided by tourism-related activities that included a free bus tour to heritage site and museum of Dhubela dedicated to Maharaja Chhatrasal—the Bundela Rajput warrior king (1649-1731), camping and adventure activities in and around Khajuraho, an old Khajuraho village tour, e-bike tour from western to eastern group of Khajuraho temples, a heritage walk and water sports activities at Kutni island resort, just 16km from Khajuraho.
Also a six-day excursion tour from Orchha to Khajuraho to Panna, inclusive of Dhubela was on offer for the visitors.
Mansi Grover, an events choreographer from Indore, who participated in different activities and visited some of the spots, told THE WEEK that the variety of activities and tourism possibilities held attractions for all the age group and every kind of person—be it an art, heritage, adventure or food lover.
Activities to continue, more to be added
The tourism board and culture department want to continue with its activities in and around Khajuraho throughout the year. “We wanted the dance festival—hitherto only a dancing event—to be a holistic experience for the participants and viewers. So, we decided to weave in heritage, nature and tourism too with culture and we want to continue with the activities,” Sheo Shekhar Shukla, principal secretary of tourism and culture, told THE WEEK.
Apart from the regular heritage walks, village tour, e-biking experience that are already available, activities like hot air ballooning at Khajuraho and Panna, camping on the outskirts of Panna national party (40km from Khajuraho), rural homestay facilities, customised excursion plan on the Orchha-Dhubela-Khajuraho-Panna circuit are also on the cards.
Shukla said that the department plans to hold daily evening cultural events at about six or seven prominent tourist places, including Khajuraho, Pachmarhi, Orchha, Mandu and others. “We will be developing cultural and arts and crafts centre at these places to promote local folk art and music through daily performances and set up local market for handicrafts from across the state for people to pick up as souvenirs too,” the officer said, adding that this is aimed at giving the tourists a complete feel of Madhya Pradesh’s diverse art, craft, heritage and natural endowments.