New Delhi: Ahead of the historic inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, New Delhi is all set to witness the celebration of the '7th edition of the India International Ramayana Mela', themed on the relevance of the yearlong 'Festival Year of Connecting the World through Ramayana-2024’ from 18-21 January.
Organised under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, a year-long programme of cultural and academic activities will be held under it, keeping in view the invaluable life lessons derived from Ramayana which transcends time and culture. The event will be inaugurated by the Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi, on January 18 at the Purana Qila here.
Director-General of ICCR, Kumar Tuhin will also be present on the occasion. A vast and appreciative participatory audience, comprising members of the Diplomatic Corps, art connoisseurs, prominent scholars, dignitaries drawn from professional walks of life, as also members of the public, among others, have expressed their interest in joining in the celebrations.
The curtain raiser showing at this much-awaited round of festivities is the staging of ballet performances by prominent Indian and international dance-drama troupes, from 18-21 January, at Purana Qila. Alongside talks and ballet performances, an eye-catching display of arts and crafts, in a series of interactive art and craft exhibitions, have been organised during the event. The latter activities will be on view as day-long attractions, culminating in the evening’s staged performances, after sundown.
Apart from the celebratory output of the India International Ramayana Festival, the enduring and year-long connectivity among the participating troupes is in keeping with the Jan Bhagidari concept, envisioning collective participation.
The second phase of these celebrations will coincide with a staging of the cultural performances in Lucknow (21st–22nd January) followed by a week-long demonstration of the international component of the Ramayana festival at select spots in Ayodhya, from January 22 till 29 , giving audiences and visitors to the holy site an additional window of engagement with the International Ramayana theme.
During April and May, the festival activities will concentrate on the holding of conferences, seminars, and exhibitions, at Indian cultural centers abroad, so as to widen deliberations on the Ramayana, with the views of renowned Indian and international scholars on the subject. In addition to public interactions, a concerted program of documentation, examining various aspects of the Ramayana through scholarly papers, publications, and books will be held.
The ongoing calendar of stage performances will include productions by Ramayana cultural delegations from Almora, Ramnagar as also from other locales with UNESCO-based Intangible Heritage links with the Ramayana tradition, in India and abroad.
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