Press Release
Minister of Art & Culture, Government of Rajasthan, Dr. B.D. Kalla inaugurated the exhibitions – ‘Tiji Festival-Driving Out Demons’ and ‘Panchtantra’ at Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) . The exhibitions are being organised by JKK in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. The exhibitions are showcasing Haku Shah’s Paintings and Kalamkari Work as well as Photographs and Masks of Tiji Festival. Director General of JKK, Ms. Kiran Soni Gupta and Additional Director General (Technical) Mr. Furqan Khan were also present on the occasion.
On the occasion, Dr. B.D. Kalla said that the ‘Tiji Exhibition’ is showcasing a wonderful collection of artwork based on the Nepali culture. The mask culture can be found in India, Tibet as well as in Buddhism. It can also be seen in South Indian dances like Kathakali, where dancers perform donning colourful and vibrant masks. This showcases that the culture of Asia is very widespread. The new generation will definitely benefit from this exhibition and be able to learn from this. Similarly, the ‘Panchatantra’ exhibition is unique in itself. Every art form tells a unique story. Panchatantra stories have been depicted artistically in this exhibition making it the perfect exhibition for the children to visit.
Play, ‘Thirsty Crow Returns’ staged for the children
Play, Thirsty Crow Returns directed and adapted by Suvojit Bandyopadhyay was staged at JKK in the morning for the children. The play was written by Manish Joshi. ‘Thirsty Crow Returns’ is a play for children, played by adults. It was a play that penetrated the minds and moral sense, of everyone from school children to adults. The play highlighted the stigma of modern and digital India, where particular 6 communities are crying for social justice even after 70 years of Independence. The play was enriched by colourful songs and dances which enthralled the audience.
The play especially focused on the Dalits, along with other minorities and the weaker sections of our society that have been brutally deprived of their constitutional rights. The crow was a symbol of the victim of our superstition-ridden society which is still divided into caste and creed. The play gave the message that India will truly shine when all social injustice comes to an end and ‘India Shining’ will not just remain a slogan.
The cast of the play included – Subhomay Dey (Lion/Monkey); Sourav Chakraborty (Crow), Sourav Banerjee (Cow); Ashok Kamila (Horse); Debobrata Paul (Wolf), among others. The other artistes of the play included – Aniruddha Biswas (Set Design); Suvojit Bandyopadhyay and Manjira Dey (Costume); Suparno Roy (Props). The music team included – Souvik Halder, Suman Paul, Sumon Bagani, Debraj Mukherjee and Biswajit Bhowmick. The light design was done by – Santanu Panda, Namrata Mukherjee and Anwsha Nandi.
Storytelling workshop by Dr. Anita Bhatnagar Jain
With an aim to enhance the talent of children and their understanding of literature, a ‘Storytelling Workshop’ was organised for children aged between 5 to 8 years old and 9 to 14 years old. The session saw participation from over 35 children. The workshop conducted by the retired I.A.S Officer and author, Dr. Anita Bhatnagar Jain. The author hosted an interactive storytelling session that educated the children about the environment and morality. These included stories like—‘Nani ka Karishma’, ‘Bimar Taj Mahal’ and ‘Son Chiraiya’ from her book ‘Dilli Ki Bulbul’. In between the stories she also interacted with the children and questioned them on hygiene, food habits, cleanliness, water preservation and much more.