Come next month and the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus will be witness to the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India, including forms like classical and folk music, and yoga.
A week-long cultural event will be held here from 3-9 June, with some renowned exponents of Indian classical music and dance among the participants. The event—VIIth International Convention—is being organised by the cultural organisation SPIC MACAY, and will host over 1,500 youths from all over India and abroad, who will spend one week in a unique ashram-like atmosphere. Interestingly, JNU is also celebrating its golden jubilee year.
There will be concerts by leading exponents of Indian classical music, both Carnatic and Hindustani styles; classical dance performances; folk performances; talks by eminent writers and painters; a film screening with a discussion; heritage walks; workshops in classical music, dance, folk art and crafts, yoga, Naad yoga, and various other activities. The concluding day will have an overnight classical concert from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.
Some of the renowned artists who are participating in the convention are Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Amjad Ali Khan, Teejan Bai, Rajan and Sajan Mishra, Parween Sultana, Shyam Benegal, Shahid Parvez, Rashid Khan, Wasifuddin Dagar, Baha’ud’din Mohiuddin Dagar and Warsi Brothers. There will be nine yoga sessions (4 to 7 a.m.) and a total other workshops (9 a.m. to 12 noon daily) during the mega event.
SPIC MACAY’s director (media), Suman Doonga said the organisation has conducted six international conventions in the past six years at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati and IIM Calcutta. In the Convention held at IIT Delhi in 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the inaugural address.
SPIC MACAY is a non-profit and non-political movement engaged in preserving India’s rich and diverse cultural heritage and propagating it among the youth. Run by volunteers, SPIC MACAY has been organising events related to classical music and dance, folk art, crafts etc. through a worldwide network of government and private schools, colleges and other educational institutions since 1977.
“In the last three years, more than 15,000 events were conducted in 700 places across the country and abroad. More than 50 lakh students, from urban and rural areas, were provided the opportunity to see and hear the most eminent artists of our times,” said Doonga.