Art and cultural activities have thrived in the city in the past decade: Prayagraj artistes

The cultural scene in Prayagraj has become more vibrant over the last decade. A lot of events are now being organised that have become part of the annual cultural event like the Patharchatti Ramnavmi celebration and Chalo Man Ganga Yamuna organised by North Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC), in which both prominent and upcoming artists perform.

Talking about the turning point for the revival of cultural activities in the past decade, Indrajeet Singh Grover, Director, NCZCC, Prayagraj says, “The city has been culturally rich and aware since decades.But as an artist, I must say that the developments during the Kumbh paved a way for the cultural revolution in the city. It was not only the beauty of the city that was being enhanced at that time but it did wonders for the art community here. These developments are to be appreciated.”

He adds, “The four-acre Kala Gram in Kumbh was the biggest crowd puller which had an amalgamation of artifacts, handicrafts, folk artists, tribal artists from all over the country and other such programs at not only on our stage but at other places also. Under NCZCC only, I was managing the cultural events that were going on at three places simultaneously. It took shape of a cultural revolution and after that, there has been a sharp increase in cultural activities. Also, the expectations of the audience has gone up. The increase in cultural awareness has resulted in the increased hunger for quality cultural programmes which I think is a positive sign for the art community.”
The Kumbh also witnessed a lot of celebrities and big names staging their power-packed performances, which won the hearts of the city folk. Danseuse and Bollywood actor Hema Malini also regaled the audience with her presentation of ballet on Ganga. In an event organized by the Department of Culture in the Kumbh Mela area, the ace actor gave a captivating performance. Making a splendid use of cinematic effect and drama, the ballet traced the journey of River Ganga from its origin till its present state. The performance witnessed a huge crowd speaking volumes about how the city was culturally being rejuvenated.

Sharing his thoughts on how the budding artists of the city are becoming the flag bearers of this revolution, Anil Ranjan Bhowmick, a veteran theatre artiste says, “In the 80s-90s, people used to participate in art forms while doing their full-time jobs. They took art as part-time and never took the risk. But things have now changed drastically especially in the last decade. The budding artists are now taking the risk and taking up the art forms as a full-time profession and many of them are getting benefitted from that. Also, this wholehearted association with the art forms has made them more creative in the process, which is a good sign. Now the city has a lot of culture and theatre activities giving a boost to art.”