Virasat (festival)

Virasat
Location(s) Educational institutions across India
Years active 1995 - Present
Founded by SPIC MACAY

Virasat is a cultural festival that celebrates all aspects of Indian cultural heritage and is held at various educational institutions across India. Organized by SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth), the week-long festival includes performances and workshops in Indian folk and classical arts, literature, crafts, theatre, cinema and yoga.[1][2]

Virasat, a word meaning "heritage" in Hindi, was held for the first time in Dehradun, in 1995[3]. Many classical music and dance maestros as well as master craftsmen are invited to perform at the festival, with the objective to foster interaction between students, artists, and craftsmen during the first half of the academic year.[4][5]

History

Organized for the first time in 1995 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Virasat 2008 was the edition which expanded the festival to a nation-wide event, which was launched on September the 2nd in 2008, with concerts and events in Delhi and 300 other localities across the greater India, lsting until December 2008.

The festival was inaugurated by former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral and Dr. Karan Singh on September 2, with recitals by Girija Devi and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia at the Vice-Regal Lodge of Delhi University. Artists like Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, T.N. Seshagopalan, Alarmel Valli, Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Shovana Narayan, Pt. Rajan and Sajan Misra, Teejan Bai also participated in the series of concerts.[6]

Today, the festival is held in Dehradun, and a theater program has been added. In 2017, it was held from April 28 to May 12.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Activities: Virasat". SPIC MACAY website.
  2. ↑ Spic Macay's Virasat 2004 begins The Times of India, Jan 7, 2004.
  3. ↑ "About us". SPIC MACAY.
  4. ↑ Ravi Shankar to perform in SPICMACAY "Virasat" Indian Express, August 25, 1998.
  5. ↑ "Virasat 2008: a treat for music lovers". Indian Express. Nov 30, 2008.
  6. ↑ "SPIC MACAY Inaugural Concerts". Screen (magazine). Sep 12, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Virasat Festival". Visarat festival in Dehradun official site. 2017-07-21.
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