'Shilpgram Utsav', A Unique Festival of Folk Culture

• 22 Dec 2022

Why In News?

• On December 21, 2022, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra inaugurated 'Shilpgram Utsav', a unique festival of folk culture in Udaipur, popularly known as the city of lakes of the state.

Key Points

• At the beginning of the program, the Governor inaugurated the exhibition of documented paintings by the West Zone Cultural Center in Sangam Auditorium by photographing the paintings contained in the clothes of Sant Mavji Maharaj of Beneshwar Dham.
• The Governor said that this craft village of Udaipur is famous all over the country. Here the rural and indigenous culture of Rajasthan, Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra can be experienced simultaneously. The culture, lifestyle and traditions of different ethnic communities of all these states are depicted in the huts here.
• 400 craftsmen and 700 folk artists are participating in the Shilpgram Utsav. In Shilpgram, the paintings contained in the chops of Sant Mavji Maharaj of Beneshwar Dham have been photographed and documented, which is the heritage of the country.
• Governor Kalraj Mishra congratulated Jaipur-based tamasha artist and theatre personality Dilip Kumar Bhatt and Ahmedabad-based culture workers and tribal artists who have done remarkable work in the upliftment of tribal art. Bhagwan Das Patel to receive Padma Bhushan Komal Kothari Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award was presented.
• On the inaugural day of The Shilpgram Festival, 225 artists from 9 states exhibited their art as part of the 'Samagam' organized at the main stage. The programe started with a prolog in which the light of the festival was spread with lamps. After this, the program started with Shree khol dance of West Bengal. This was followed by Jammu and Kashmir Roff, Assam's Bodai Shikhala, Orissa's Gotipua, Maharashtra's Lavani, Goa's Samai, Jharkhand's Chhau Gujarat's Dang and Punjab's Bhangra.