NEW DELHI: To celebrate the cultural heritage and ethos of India, a three-day mega-festival —Jashn-e-Hind — takes off at IGNCA in New Delhi tomorrow. Renowned dignitaries and eminent scholars from the literary and art fields will participate in multi-focussed sessions and performances. The event will also witness panel discussions, ghazal and Gurbani singing, Sufi music, khwateen ka mushaira, classical dance and music performances, plays, mazhaiya mushaira, youth mushaira, book launches, qawwalis, bhajans, open-mic, folk performances and other exciting sessions highlighting the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of India.
“Jashn-e-Hind is a multistage event celebrating the Indian ethos. Each morning will begin with music from three stages, each projecting a hymn to the divine – the lawn stages will have bhajan, Sufi and Gurbani singing. It will be followed by classical music — both vocal and instrumental. Then one stage will be given over to schoolchildren for performances. Autistic and disabled children and children from different NGOs will also perform,” shares Dr Mridula Tandon, president of NGO Sakshi, the organisers of the event. Talking more about Jashn-e-Hind, Dr Tandon says, “It is an initiative to bring together all communities under one umbrella of peace and harmony thus promoting brotherhood of all mankind.” The multi-cultural event will host leading names in the field of poetry including Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, Laxmi Shankar Bajpai, Kunwar Bechain, Moien Shadab, and Mahesh Garg Bedhadak. It will also witness participation by classical dancers like Pt Birju Maharaj, Shovana Narayan, Yamini and Bhavna Reddy, Priti Patel and danseuse Geeta Chandran’s troupe as well as musical stalwarts like qawwali-singers Sabri brothers, flautist Ajay Prasanna and Rajasthani vocalist Sudesh Sharma among others. Other participating speakers include lyricist Piyush Mishra, literary critic Shamim Hanfi, psychiatrist Nimesh Desai and para-lympian Ranveer Saini.
The three-day extravaganza will also include a section on disabilities and heroes wherein an autistic kid who has won an Olympic medal will give a speech which autistic kids cannot.
“His father will then give a talk on how one should not give up and act as a fighter if they happen to have a disbaled or autistic child. He will share how one should find out that one talent of their child and hone it,” says Tandon.
The reason why NGO Sakshi planned to organise Jashn-e-Hind, says its founder, was due to the fact that as a nation we were slowly getting away from our ancient culture and creating walls everywhere.
“The culture of the Hind, wherein every living being, even plants, was once respected, is changing. We need to help today’s generation understand their roots. The idea is to celebrate the existence of Indians around the world and their achievements,” she says.
The festival will also have a section, Salute To The Soldiers, wherein soldiers manning our international borders 24x7 so that each Indian can sleep peacefully, will be paid tribute.
“Do we ever remember them? We need to salute the sacrifices they make for the Motherland. A regimental band performance will also be there. Then there have be talks with war veterans and army wives to know more about their lives,” shares Tandon.And last but not-the least will be a performance by Ilyas Ali, a tailor from UP’s Bareilly.
“Unknown to most of us, Ali picks up chaupais from the Ramayana and combines them with Urdu shayari. He will be worth listening to,” says Dr Tandon.
Jashn-e-Hind
The three-day extravaganza will also include a section on disabilities and heroes wherein an autistic kid who has won an Olympic medal will give a speech.