Saturday 30 April 2022

KATHAK LOK TEMPLES, TRADITIONS, AND HISTORY By Shovana Narayan & Geetika Kalha

Saturday, 30th April 2022, Kathak Guru Padmashri Shovana Narayan with Geetika Kalha, Unveiling the book (English and Hindi) with DVD on "Kathak Lok: Temples, Traditions and History" at IGNCA Auditorium.

This deeply researched book is the result of 7,000 kilometers of travel through North India and five years of fieldwork, investigation, and research. The mission was to understand the existence of Kathak villages and what Kathak and ‘Kathak Lok’ represented.

Going from village to village, seeing Kathak Lok dance in temples, meeting Maharajas, dancers, scholars, and swamis, the authors, Shovana Narayan and Geetika Kalha, peeled layer upon layer of history. Bit by bit facts revealed themselves, slowly lifting the curtain to a clear and accurate picture.

The authors unearth little-known facts of pre-Christian era roots of Kathak and its role in propagating and preserving dharma, over the centuries, which continues as a living tradition today. This book shatters many popular perceptions-such as the Mughal origins of Kathak.

The DVD directed by Beenu Rajpoot encapsulates interviews with members of the Kathak Lok and with patrons, providing a glimpse into the Kathak villages, archival records, and the living temple dance tradition of the Kathak Lok and the journey of the authors. 

Vitasta publications are the publishers of the English version of the book while Shubhi Publications are the publishers of the Hindi version of the book. 

The event was attended by Abha Dalmia, Anita Singh, Designer Leena Singh, Dr. Herbert Traxl, the Austrian Ambassador, Dr. Karan Singh, Dr. Yatindra Mishra, and Mr. Amarendra Khatua, Mr. Sanjay Arya, PT. Sajan Mishra, Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Ranjana Narayan, Sonal Jindal etc...

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