The prestigious 67th Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan, organised by Sur Singar Samsad, will commence on Monday, May 18, at the Nanavati College Auditorium, Vile Parle (West). The three-day festival, dedicated to classical dance and music, will conclude on May 20.
Renowned classical dancers from across the country are performing at the Sammelan this year. Among the prominent artistes are acclaimed Bharata Natyam exponent Prof. Rahul Dev Mondal from Kolkata, veteran Odissi danseuse and mentor Nivedita Mukherjee from Mumbai along with her disciples, and noted Kathak exponent Pt. Gopi Krishna’s disciple Vaibhav Joshi.
Celebrated Bharata Natyam artiste Pavitra Bhat and veteran Odissi guru Dr. Guru Gajendra Panda from Bhubaneswar are also part of the festival lineup. The audience will also witness performances by Sattriya dancer Khirud Bhuyan from Guwahati, Gwalior-based Kathak exponent Anjana Jha, and renowned Kathak artistes Surashree Bhattacharya from New Delhi and Ruchi Sharma from Mumbai.
The only Kuchipudi exponent featured in the festival this year is Guru Radha Mohan, who will perform along with selected disciples.
Speaking about the event, Sur Singar Samsad Secretary M.K. Patel said that organising a festival of such magnitude has become increasingly difficult without corporate sponsorship, despite support from the Ministry of Culture and eminent personalities including Bhajan Samrat Pt. Anup Jalota.
By…. Guru Vijayshanker
