5,000 artists to perform in Ayodhya from January to March

Lucknow: Over 5,000 musicians, dancers and other artistes will perform in Ayodhya from January 14 to March 24 to mark the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22.

According to officials in the tourism department, guests will get to witness the grandeur of Indian culture through music, art and dance performances in Ayodhya in one of the biggest events of the decade.

“Artists from almost all states where Lord Ram’s footprints have been found, will be called to Ayodhya to showcase their skills between January 14 and March 24,” said Tourism and Culture Principal Secretary Mukesh Meshram.

“Folk singers, classical singers, semi-classical singers, and those who are experts in playing shehnai, violin, sitar, tabla and mridang will perform in Ayodhya. Exponents of Kathak, Bharat Natyam, Kathakali and the likes will perform for VVIP guests coming to Ayodhya during this period. A meeting to finalise the artistes will be held this week,” he said.

Over 1,400 folk artistes had performed in the temple town during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on December 30. However, the celebration on January 22 will be grander and over 100 stages are expected to come up in the city, said an official of the Tourism and Culture Department.

“Lord Ram has had a significant influence on the art and culture of India. Ramayana has been a popular theme for centuries in classical dance performances. Many compositions were inspired by the story of Lord Ram,” the official added.

Besides these performances, thematic artworks, revamped facades and renamed roads are also part of the grand facelift.

Hundreds of artists from Odisha, Bihar, bamboo artists from the Northeastern states of Assam, Manipur and flower artists from Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan will decorate Ayodhya ahead of the grand event.

Sand artists from Odisha will decorate the city with beautiful sand sculptures and drawings, said Meshram.

“Sand art is popular all over the world, and now it would be seen in Ayodhya too. To carve sand sculptures, the raw material of fine-grain sand mixed with water is being readied. Artists will display the magic of fingers on sand by drawing beautiful sculptures of Lord Ram and Ramayan,” he added.

The Principal Secretary said, “Bamboo artists from Assam, Manipur and Tripura would erect giant bamboo gates and make illustrations for decorating Ayodhya before the ceremony.”

Artists will also make Madhubani paintings on Ramayan while those from Maharashtra will create Warli paintings. “Warli art uses geometric shapes, lines, and dots to create intricate images,” added Meshram.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to decorate the four main routes in Ayodhya (Ram Path, Bhakti Path, Janmabhoomi Path, and Dharma Path) with flowers on January 22.

Flowers from different parts of the country will be brought to Ayodhya to add beauty to various parts of the city.

Some imported flowers will be used for the decoration of the 2.7-acre campus of the temple.

The road from Ayodhya bypass to the Lucknow-Gorakhpur National Highway would be adorned with attractive paintings. The district authorities have been directed to ensure swift completion of illumination and facade works along all the main routes of the city before January 14.