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Department of Public Relations, Chandigarh Administration
www.chandigarh.gov.in
Press Release
Chandigarh, Nov 9: The last day of the SAARC Folklore Festival saw
audiences swaying to the fervour of the quawali by Ustad Qadir
Sardar Ali, the Malangs from Pakistan and absorbing the bbeauty of
the Yakshgaan from Karnataka and the Yak Dance from Arunachal
Pradesh.
The evening was inaugurated by the Governor of Haryana Jagnath
Pahadia who was accompanied by the Secretary, Home, Ram Niwas
and Director Cultural Affairs RS Verma.
The evening started with ‘Pabuji ki Phad’. It is the traditional storytelling art of Rajasthan. The Phad is a 30 feet long sheet on which
are painted (or sewn) miniature scenes depicting the life of Pabuji,
a 14th century hero, on which his adventures are depicted. The
ballad is sung by the members of Bhopa community.
Yaksha-gaana is a dance drama popular in the coastal region of
Karnataka. It is believed to have evolved from pre classical music
form and theatrical arts. The actors brought to life the scene of
‘Samudra Manthan’, the famous churning of ocean that took place
between the demons and the gods. The crowds also got to enjoy
the famous Yak Dance of Arunachal Pradesh to the beats of the
drums and chants.
The Malangs or the whirling dervishes from the Shah Hussain’s
Mazaar in Pakistan performed for the seventh time today. The
entire theatre vibrated with sheer energy as these nomads danced
to the beat of the drums.
A quawali presentation by the group of Ustad Qadir Sardar Ali
charged the atmosphere and kalaams of love and devotion
underlined the theme of unity in diversity.
The Chandigarh Administration has been making a lot of attempts
to make Chandigarh a culture hub. In this direction it has taken
various steps like organising the Chandigarh Theatre Festival and
the Ist Chandigarh National Crafts Mela and the organisers of the
SAARC Folklore Festival and Academic Seminar have also been
accommodated in every possible way and given all support to make
this cultural bonanza a great success.