Capturing the Forces of Nature

In canvases,lyrics and rhythms,Nature finds a myriad meanings. The 4th Chandigarh Arts & Heritage Festival,which begins today,salutes the many faces of Nature through a variety of art forms.

Among the highlights of the four-day festival are two exhibitions — one of photographs and paintings by Subodh Kerkar; the other,of miniature landscape painting by Bireswar Sen. If Kerkar is well-known for his colossal installations on seashores,Sen works in the style of Rabindranath Tagore and Russian painter Nicholas Roerich. “We have included art and theatre workshops and created spaces for the audience to interact with artists,” says Diwan Manna,Chairperson,Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi,which is organising the event with Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi.

Evenings at Tagore Theatre will resound with music and the sound of ghunghroos as Jalam,a dance theatre by Samudra Performing Arts of Kerala,unfolds. The moves blend yoga postures and Bharatnatyam. Celebrated mother-daughter vocalists Vasundhara and Kalapini Komkali will also work their magic on April 26 at an event called Ritu Ranga.

On April 28,the final day,fans can meet Hindi poet and lyricist Gopal Das Neeraj at the UT Guest House. The musical evening also includes Dastangoi,a dramatised storytelling performance.