Five-day long cultural fest, Lokrang comes to an end

The five-day long cultural fest, Lokrang, recently concluded in the city with great fanfare. The 28-years-old cultural extravaganza, which is held annually at Ravindra Bhavan, attained magnified proportion this year with artistes from across the world participating in it. Organised by the state culture and tourism department, Lokrang had the who's who of MP's political arena attending the do, including governor Ramnaresh Yadav and state culture minister Laxmikant Sharma. "We've been celebrating this cultural extravaganza for years and this time we have given it an international look. Every year, we felicitate the talent of Bhopal and I extend my best wishes to the winners," Laxmikant Sharma said.
Bhopalites were treated to a mish-mash of desi and videshi performances on all five days, which had artistes from countries like Germany, Turkey, Cuba, Mexico, Ukraine and Nigeria, putting up a splendid act. "It's incredible to witness so many different cultures on one stage. Such events also make us familiar with our own culture," said Shriram Maheshwari, a media professional present at the do. Vijayalaxmi, a corporate professional from Delhi, remarked, "I'd come to Bhopal for a brief vacation, but I didn't know I'll get such a cultural treat from this city. I'm enjoying myself." On the second day, renowned kathak dancer Pandit Chitresh Das and tap dancer Jason Samuel Smith from the US, mesmerised the audience with their fusion dance. "Watching two different dance forms on one stage was like witnessing a cultural exchange. I loved it!" exclaimed Avantika Agrawal, an entrepreneur.
The next day had more firang performances in store for Bhopalites. Everyone seated in the audience cheered excitedly when dancers from Nigeria showed some gravity-defying acrobatic dance steps. Other dance forms included freestyle and salsa by artistes from Turkey and Cuba. There were also dance performances from Manipur, Mizoram and Maharashtra, liked by all. "It is amazing to witness so many beautiful performers. I'm glad that I got a chance to see so many splendid acts," said Ratan Parekh, a bank employee. The bubble dance from Mexico and fire dance from Germany grabbed all the eyeballs on the fourth day. And Gujarati garba and dandiya added vibrant hues to the stage that resembled Bhojpur Temple. Palak, a first-year graduation student, said, "I liked the Gujarati and Maharashtrian dance the most. Their costumes were so colourful."
No event is complete without Bollywood and this one was no exception. The last day had singer Harshdeep Kaur giving everyone a musical treat with her soulful voice. Harshdeep started with a bhajan to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as it was January 30, his death anniversary. She later went on to croon several Bollywood tracks. While sharing her experience about her Bhopal visit, Harshdeep said, "This is the second time I am performing in Bhopal. I was here on MP's Foundation Day and I'm honoured to perform here again today. The audience here is a great listener." It was not just a cultural fest, but also a shopping fiesta for Bhopalites. There were stalls from across India was put up at the venue that displayed handicraft and handloom items.