By Khursheed Wani
Khajuraho:It is always a delight to attend a historic event. The year 2025 is unique. The majestic Khajuraho temples are completing one thousand years of existence on the face of the earth, continuing to exhibit mysteries of human intellect and expression through the unique carvings on stones.
Every year a dance festival is organised to survive, enrich and promote the dancing traditions of India at the place, which has gained the sobriquet of being the cultural capital of Madhya Pradesh. This year, it was the 51st dance festival and a memorable occasion to enter into the Book of World Records.
A dancer performing at the 51st Khajuraho Dance Festival 2025 held in Khajuraho (ETV Bharat) The audiences were left spell-bound by the dances performed by artists, who had come from the nooks and corners of the country. Several dances like Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak were performed during the seven-day festival and it was a treat to the dance-loving audience, who had gathered from across the world.
There were also several attractions for the final night of the festival. It included a Kathak performance by the dynamic duo of Piyush Raj and Sunil Sankara, from Maharashtra. The duo delivered a mesmerising performance, blending swift footwork with expressive storytelling. A Bharatnatyam performance by legendary Meenakshi Seshadri, also from Maharashtra, captivated the audience with a spellbinding recital that paid homage to the sacred temple dance tradition. Seshadri was the cynosure of eyes for sure.
A dancer performing at the 51st Khajuraho Dance Festival 2025 held in Khajuraho (ETV Bharat) There was more in store for the audience. It was a time for the Kuchipudi dance. The grand finale reached its peak with the electrifying performance of Radha-Raja Reddy, from Delhi, whose fluid movements and commanding stage presence left the audience awestruck.
Earlier, the organisers had set the stage for the rare announcement on Thursday, February 20. It was a pleasant misty evening. A large gathering of domestic and foreign tourists was seated in front of two majestic Khajuraho temples glittering under the shine of floodlights of all hues. A huge band of Kathak dancers, clad in bright shimmering dresses, row after row, was facing the audience to complete the setting.
As the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav made his entry, it was time for the formal announcement. A representative of the Guinness Book of World Records arrived at the podium to announce that a record of the 24-hour Classical Dance Marathon has been set at the festival. She announced that a hundred dancers performed without a break for 24 hours and nine minutes at the Aadivart Tribal Museum. She explained the methods used to record the marathon making it to qualify for the world record.
Artists performing a dance at the 51st Khajuraho Dance Festival 2025 held in Khajuraho (ETV Bharat) The announcement evoked a thunderous applause as CM Yadav received the citation. Like a sports captain, he then went in the middle of the band of dancers to triumphantly raise the citation in both hands. All cameras were rolling.
"I am proud to be here on this historic occasion. This moment will go a long way in preserving and building the historic traditions of art and culture in India, especially in the state of Madhya Pradesh," he said. "We are the torchbearers of India's classical dance heritage," he said beginning his speech with chants of 'Jai Shri Ram', a slogan popularised by his party BJP.
The organisers of the Dance Festival 2025--Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board and Department of Culture-- used the event to showcase the UNESCO-listed Khajuraho Temples, highly popular among foreign travellers.
"This year, first time after COVID-19, we have seen a large inflow of tourists. Even as the foreigners are still not arriving in encouraging numbers, the footfall has shown an uptick," Masood Ahmad, a Kashmiri shawl trader told ETV Bharat. Ahmad has established his outlet of Kashmiri Handicrafts three decades ago.
On February 26, the festival concluded with a spectacular style with another powerful display of dancing prowess by the artists. "The 51st Khajuraho Dance Festival has been a testament to India’s rich cultural tapestry. The overwhelming response from artists and audiences alike inspires us to continue this tradition with even greater zeal in the coming years," said Principal Secretary, of the Tourism, Culture, and Religious Trusts and Endowments Department, Sheo Shekhar Shukla.
(The writer is Deputy News Editor at ETV Bharat)
