Third edition of Kala Utsav in Gurugram set to enthral audience this weekend

At the coming weekend, Rangbhoomi, the open air theatre at Sector 29, will transform into a musical stage with notes of sitar and sarod, tabla and ghungroo reverberating through the air, as it will host the third edition of the Gurugram Kala Utsav.

The festival was started in 2017 to celebrate the Indian classical art forms. In its third year now, the annual festival is a cultural amalgam of classical Indian dance forms, such as kathak, bharatnatyam, kuchipudi and odissi, folk music, and Hindustani vocal and instrumental renditions.

Incidentally the festival falls on the same weekend as the popular Gurgaon Utsav, a festival that brings Sufi and fusion music, poetry and dramatic performances to city audiences. The festival will take place at the Aravalli Biodiversity Park.

Artists at the Kala Utsav will include Padmashri awardee Geeta Mahalik and her Odissi dance troupe; acclaimed flute recital artist Pandit Chetan Joshi; kathak proponent Kavita Thakur; sarod player Tarun Chadra Kalita, among others. “Renowned Hindustani classical violinist and city resident Sharat Chandra Srivastava will kick-start the festival with a Sandhya Raag, accompanied by percussionists Gyan Singh on tabla and Chandrashekhar on mridangam,” said Vani Madhav, one of the organisers.

The two-day fest is being organised by an Odissi dance academy, and a not-for-profit organisation and supported by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram.

Art aficionados and enthusiasts said they were looking forward to the festival. Kanika Baweja, a chartered accountant and Sector 49 resident said, “We are starved of Indian performing arts in the city. I try to go to Delhi as much as I can to attend these performances, but it is not always possible, which is why I am really excited about such a festival happening in the city, but I think it should not just be an annual event. There should be more such events.”

Sahil Singh, a professional chef and Sushant Lok resident, resonated similar sentiments, “It’s great something like this is happening in the city. It’s extremely important that we don’t forget our roots, our culture. Such art festivals help us in achieving that. It’s especially important for the younger generations to stay connected to their cultural elements, which is why I will be taking my entire family there.”

Conceptualised as an ode to classical Indian art forms and interlaced with stellar performances from different parts of the country, the festival brings together art enthusiasts from different sectors, age groups and professions in the city.

For 30-year-old photographer and visual artist Saurabh Biswas, such events are not just culturally enlightening, but are great platforms for meeting art veterans as well.

He said, “In absence of such events, it is difficult for a vibrant cultural landscape to exist in the city. Where will artists find inspiration and stimulation? I always look forward to such events, and my friends, who are IT professionals and bankers, also enjoy classical music and will be attending with me.”

The Gurugram Kala Utsav will be held on March 16 and 17 from 6pm to 9.30pm at the Rangbhoomi open air theatre in Sector 29. The entry to the festival is free.