Our Correspondent
IMPHAL, NOVEMBER 7
Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh formally inaugurated the three-day main dance festival of the 10th Bhagyachandra National Festival of Classical Dance at the historic Kangla fort in Imphal this evening.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said 25 years back in 1989, the Government of Manipur conceived the idea of holding a national festival of classical dance in the name of King Bhagyachandra of 18th Century. Since 1989, we have been successfully organizing featuring many eminent dancers of the country including dancers of our state, CM Ibobi added. “We go to Shri Shri Govindaji and other temples to worship, we see Nata Sankirtana performance in our religious rituals which has become an indispensable part of our lives, we see Raas dance performances occasionally in the temples on specific dates in many cultural performances staged for various occasions in the state and outside including abroad,” Ibobi said.
“There was Nata Sankirtana and Maha-Raas dance performance at Shri Shri Gopinath ji temple, Ningthoukhong last evening as part of this festival.”
This festival is truly homage and acknowledgement to the founder of these arts, he added. Ibobi also released a souvenir of the festival.
On Thursday, the CM Ibobi accompanied by his better half, MLA Landhoni and Commerce and Industries Minister, Gobindas Konthoujam inaugurated the festival at the Shri Shri Gopinath Temple, Ningthoukhong in Bishnupur district.
Manipuri dancer RK Sabitrisana, Odissi dancer Sujata Mohapatra, Mohiniyattam dancer Methil Devika and another Manipuri dancer T Roneld Meitei performed four different dance sequences for the evening. The festival will conclude on Sunday.
