BY DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY
KOLKATA, 20 AUGUST 2023:
Ramjhol 1.0 – Rajasthan: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow is an exploration of the culture of Rajasthan and its ties with Kolkata and it is not a mere exhibition in a traditional sense, but a conclave of Rajasthani culture across platforms and KCC tries to touch upon all aspects of creativity through this conclave including contemporary art, theatre, film, craft, design, architecture and history and language and literature, culminating in three days of performances, workshops, talks and exhibitions, says Smt. Pramila Shah,event director of Anamika Kala Sangam .
Talking to The Travel and Tourism Times, Mr. Hinglaj Dan Ratnoo , assistant director of information and public relations of Rajasthan Government in Kolkata said that the efforts of Kolkata’s Marwari community in the Rajasthani language recognition movement are commendable and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Mr. Ashok Gehlot has also been a staunch admirer of Rajasthani language and supporting the movement.
He has moderated a session on the topic – “Kolkata and the demand for Rajasthani recognition . For nearly 100 years, Kolkata was the epicentre of the demand for language recognition . What is the future?”.
The three days event was organised jointly by KCC Anamika, STAGE and Emami Foundation CSR Initiative at Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) from 18 to 20 th August 2023.
The Conclave’s exploration tries to go beyond the celebratory cliches one usually encounters- the usual contrast of rustic and royal rustled up for the tourism industry. Ramjhol 1.0’s take on Rajasthan culture is completely different from the usual and focuses on aspects such as the Rajasthani language, its literature, and its unique poetic and musical traditions The Conclave will present Dingal and Maand, two rare genres of poetry and music respectively that developed in the feudal milieu so unique to the region, Dingal with its unique metres, performative styles and alliteration patterns like a and Maand with their distinctive repertoire of songs and murkiness and khakis.
Migration to Kolkata from Rajasthan dramatically increased after the terrible drought of 1899. In the aftermath of this increased migration, the profits from business here, in East India, was used to build some of the most marvellous havelis in Rajasthan-particularly in Shekhawati. KCC is excited to present a talk on this chapter in the backdrop of the history of Kolkata and Rajasthan.
Even as Ramjhol 1.0 engages with the traditional, it will also present the ‘contemporary adapting to the new media of OTT platforms and social media, new literature which engages with a history of migration, theatre based on multi-lingual adaptations of traditional folk stories, and contemporary apparel made using the traditional weaving and embroidery forms. The Conclave also offers film screenings, workshops and performances.
Micha Agarwal, Chairperson of Kalkata Center for Creativity said, “Over these three days KCC will come alive with a series of events that has transported us to the land of a royals-from art exhibition by the world renowned artist and researcher Madan Meena that has showcased the intricate craftsmanship of Rajasthan, to insightful talk sessions, Pop Ups, musical performance by Pande Pukhra Sharma, a play by Ramanjit Kaur and group, traditional performances like Ghoomar and multiple shops on folk art forms like Pichhwa and a lot more.
“It is our privilege to have scholars, poets, craftsmen artists from across Rajasthan including Bikaner, Beawar Kota and Bharatpur among us for Ramjhol 1.0 and we hope that you have experienced and that will leave an indelible mark on your senses and your soul”,Micha Agarwal added.
There have been several panel discussions, audio visual presentations and question and answer sessions, besides display of Rajasthani art and crafts at KCC.
The Haveli Dialogue captivated the audience on the last day. There are several hundreds of havelis in Rajasthan and each haveli has a separate and unique story to tell which can be revived for the sake of the knowledge for posterity in the next hundred years to come to know their roots, the panelists felt. Besides, it also acts as a game changer in providing local livelihood in rural Rajasthan and boosting sustainable tourism.
Eminent personalities like Mr. Goutam Ghose, national award winning film director who has made a documentary film on Land of Sand Dunes was also present. Other panelists included Dr. Banshidhar Sharma, Mr. Ratan Shah, Mr.Jai Prakash Sethia, Mr. Girdharan Ratnoo Dasari, Professor Garima Dhabai of Presidency University, Mr. Pradip Kumar Chopra, Chairman and MD of PS Group, Dr. Shruti Nada Poddar, heritage restoration facilitator and entrepreneur, Iftekar Ahsan, the mind behind calcuttawalks, also a heritage conservationist, Siddarth Sethia, Trustee of Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Foundation, Dr. B.D.Mundhra, Saumya Agarwal, art historian and cultural studies scholar etc.
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