<p>A three-day cultural festival was recently held at Ravindra Kalakshetra to mark the historic 60th anniversary of Bhavan Bengaluru Kendra. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Interestingly, the auspicious juncture of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan celebrating its platinum jubilee and the 125th birthday of its legendary founder, Dr K M Munshi, coincided with the 60th year of the Bengaluru Kendra’s existence.<br /><br />The celebrations began with a unique presentation of Bhagavadgita Sankeertana by 150 students of Sandipani Gurukula, under the direction of Rohini Chakravarthy. <br />“It was a very nice evening and an apt way to commemorate the Kendra. Though the evening was a little spiritual, it was entertaining to watch,” says Ramya, who was present on all three days. Day two witnessed a long session of Shataavadhana by the renowned scholar Shataavadhani R Ganesh. <br /><br />Avadhana is a unique and rare literary art of ancient India, which is both scholarly and entertaining, with roots in the vedas and shastras of Sanskrit literature. Dating back to the tenth and eleventh centuries, the format is still the same as it always has been — the performer is questioned in eight ways and replies in verses, followed by a more detailed explanation. <br /><br />“I have always wanted to watch an avadhani (a person who performs avadhana) perform live. It was a very enriching experience for me because I could relate to a lot of things that he discussed,” shares Sunil, an audience member. <br /><br />The final day saw a veena recital by Goda Anirudh Raghavan, who has been playing the instrument since the age of four and has previously performed in front of former president of India, A P J Abdul Kalam. <br /><br />The melodic strains were played to perfection by the musician, who left the <br />audience in a trance-like state.<br /><br />This was followed by Masteraayana, a dramatic feature by revolutionary Kannada theatre personality, Master Hirannaiah. The play brought to life satiric sequences from his famous works, Makmal Topi and Lanchavatara, which explored the Indian context of corruption and politics. <br /><br />Finally, there was a Son et Lumiere (sound-and-light show), which was clubbed with a thoroughly enjoyable magic show. <br /></p>
<p>A three-day cultural festival was recently held at Ravindra Kalakshetra to mark the historic 60th anniversary of Bhavan Bengaluru Kendra. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Interestingly, the auspicious juncture of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan celebrating its platinum jubilee and the 125th birthday of its legendary founder, Dr K M Munshi, coincided with the 60th year of the Bengaluru Kendra’s existence.<br /><br />The celebrations began with a unique presentation of Bhagavadgita Sankeertana by 150 students of Sandipani Gurukula, under the direction of Rohini Chakravarthy. <br />“It was a very nice evening and an apt way to commemorate the Kendra. Though the evening was a little spiritual, it was entertaining to watch,” says Ramya, who was present on all three days. Day two witnessed a long session of Shataavadhana by the renowned scholar Shataavadhani R Ganesh. <br /><br />Avadhana is a unique and rare literary art of ancient India, which is both scholarly and entertaining, with roots in the vedas and shastras of Sanskrit literature. Dating back to the tenth and eleventh centuries, the format is still the same as it always has been — the performer is questioned in eight ways and replies in verses, followed by a more detailed explanation. <br /><br />“I have always wanted to watch an avadhani (a person who performs avadhana) perform live. It was a very enriching experience for me because I could relate to a lot of things that he discussed,” shares Sunil, an audience member. <br /><br />The final day saw a veena recital by Goda Anirudh Raghavan, who has been playing the instrument since the age of four and has previously performed in front of former president of India, A P J Abdul Kalam. <br /><br />The melodic strains were played to perfection by the musician, who left the <br />audience in a trance-like state.<br /><br />This was followed by Masteraayana, a dramatic feature by revolutionary Kannada theatre personality, Master Hirannaiah. The play brought to life satiric sequences from his famous works, Makmal Topi and Lanchavatara, which explored the Indian context of corruption and politics. <br /><br />Finally, there was a Son et Lumiere (sound-and-light show), which was clubbed with a thoroughly enjoyable magic show. <br /></p>
