The Premchand Rangshala hosted the Megh Malhar Festival 2025 on Saturday, a collaborative effort between the Department of Art, Culture & Youth and the Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir. The event began with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony led by key figures, including Ruby, the director of the cultural affairs directorate, and other officials from the organizing bodies. The atmosphere was immediately imbued with a sense of spirituality and divine light through the chanting of ‘Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya’, with the opening performance instantly captivating the audience.
Rahul Rajak, a Kathak dancer from Katihar, delivered a moving performance based on the Madhurashtakam, a composition by Acharya Vallabhacharya, directed and voiced by Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj. This depiction of Lord Krishna’s sweetness elevated the festival’s spiritual essence. His subsequent performance evoked the colors of the monsoon season with the ‘Ghantaghor Badal’, and a Kathak rendition on Kajri captured the feeling of separation, bringing the audience an experience of the thunder, lightning, and rain.
Ali Khan and his troupe, hailing from Rajasthan, added to the festival’s charm with their rendition of ‘Padharo Mare Desh’, a traditional welcome song that enhanced the hospitality of Bihar. Their melodious voices and tunes resonated with the audience. They further enchanted the crowd with Rajasthani folk dances accompanied by timeless songs like ‘Nibuda’ and ‘Damadam Mast Qalandar’.
In the concluding segment, the stage was graced by the cultural diversity of Bihar. Chandni Shukla and her team from Purnia spellbound the audience with their performance, commencing with a song by the renowned Maithili poet Vidyapati, followed by an array of Bhojpuri and Maithili folk songs. The artists of Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir concluded the program with a devotional dance celebrating Harihar and Shri Hari.