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People
: the edifice of friendship
Posted on Saturday, November 29 @ 12:28:35 CST BST -KOL |
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The
‘eternal friendship and cooperation between India and Bhutan’,
the theme of the Festival of India in Bhutan, saw yet another
level of interpretation when it formally closed on November 26
with a dance-drama enactment of the life and teachings of the
great Buddhist saint, Jetsuin Milarepa.
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Their
Majesties the Queens, dignitaries from Bhutan, India, and the
international community, and thousands of people in Thimphu watched
the much-awaited Indo-Bhutan collaboration that represented a
cultural fusion of spiritual mythology, folklore, music, and drama
presented in beautifully interlaced Dzongkha and Hindi. The spectacular
performance, conceived, designed and directed by Bansi Kaul, took
Bhutanese dance and drama to a new level of professionalism and
creativity.
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 An eager crowd wait for the show to begin |
The life of Jetsuin Milarepa was accurately portrayed in verse, song and narration, depicting the painful search for the Truth and the profundity of enlightenment. The intricate stage and the lighting and sound systems, brought from India, helped the powerful presentation by the artists from the Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA), National School of Drama (NSD) and Rang Vidushak in India. |
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The
performance also skillfully merged the two cultures with the characters
in the drama in mixed dresses, speaking Hindi and Dzongkha in
an infusion of the languages of the two countries. As Bansi Kaul
explained, he kept in mind the extremely varied intonations and
nuances of the two languages.
The large and varied audience shared the sentiments of 68-year old Ap Tshering who was awed and touched by the whole event. “The biography of the great saint is a good reminder to us that revenge and hatred would bring us nothing but downfall and more hatred,” he said. Addressing the gathering, the Bhutanese prime minister Lyonpo Jigmi Y Thinley said that the festival, had reflected the love, close friendship and understanding between the people of Bhutan and India would play a pivotal role in further enhancing the bond between the two countries. The visiting chief guest, Indian minister of state for culture, Mrs Bhavnaban D Chikhalia, described the festival as yet another milestone achieved in the Indo-Bhutan friendship and cooperation, closely linking the two countries both culturally and traditionally. The festival of India was launched on June 5, bringing alive the sights and sounds of India through colourful events that included classical dance and music, folk traditions, food, films, arts and crafts, textiles and science exhibitions representing the best of India’s vast cultural heritage. The ambassador of India to Bhutan, Mr K S Jasrotia, expressed his satisfaction that the goals and objectives of the festival were translated into reality. “Such cultural exchanges greatly contribute to mutual awareness of our shared cultural and religious heritage,” he said. “People-to-people contact is the edifice on which the two countries endeavour to further strengthen the existing relationship.” By
Karma Choden |
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