Residents thronged Rangbhoomi, an open- air theatre, in Sector 29, Gurgaon, as over 40 performances were part of the cultural fest among many other attractions.
Hundreds of NCR residents attended Kala Utsav, a cultural fest, held at Rangbhoomi, an open-air theatre in Sector 29, Gurgaon, on March 25 and 26.
The two-day event was organised by Nritya Dhara, a Gurgaon-based Odissi dance institute, and Ashray, a non-profit socio-cultural organisation, in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon.
Over 40 performances, including Odissi, Manipuri and Kuchipudi dance, in the event left the audience enthralled. Bhajami Vindhyavasini, an Odissi folk dance by Vani Madhav and group, and Manipuri dance by Sanjeev Bhattacharya, were particularly entertaining. Handicraft exhibitions and workshops also kept the visitors engaged.
Vani Madhav, festival director of Kala Utsav, says, “The festival sought to inform people about the various traditional dance forms in our country. We have the richest culture, but we are losing its essence today.”
Some residents took the opportunity to acquaint their kids with culture. Neha Kaushik, a resident of Harmony Homes, Sector 57, Gurgaon, says, “I strongly believe that the younger generation should be aware of our culture. I went there with both my daughters. They may not have understood the dance themes but they really enjoyed themselves.”
For others, the event was a chance to relish cultural performances, especially after Epicentre, Gurgaon’s most popular cultural centre, was shut down recently. Mona Singh, a resident of DLF Phase V, Gurgaon, says, “After the shutdown, we were left with no options in the city for such evenings.This was a perfect weekend for art lovers like me.”
But it wasn’t just cultural performances that were a draw for residents. More than 10 food stalls serving regional cuisines were also major crowd-pullers.
"I am a big time foodie. It’s been ages since I had a good authentic meal. I simply loved Puran Poli — a sweet parantha from Gujarat. I also got to relish my favourite Oriya dish Chhena Kheeri," says a Shabina Malik, a resident of Sector 57, Gurgaon.
