Patna Hosted Megh Malhar Festival 2025

Sangeeta Srivastava I Patna. A grand celebration of the Megh Malhar Festival 2025 was organized on Saturday at Premchand Rangshala under the joint aegis of the Department of Art, Culture & Youth and the Indian Dance Art Temple. The program was inaugurated with the traditional lighting of the lamp by Mrs. Ruby, Director of the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Ms. Kahkashan, Administrative Officer of the Indian Dance Art Temple, Ms. Kriti Alok, Co-Secretary of Premchand Rangshala, and Mr. Mahmood Alam, Joint Secretary of the Department of Art, Culture & Youth. The invocation “Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya” (Lead us from darkness to light) filled the auditorium with an aura of divinity and spirituality.

The very first performance left the audience spellbound. Young Kathak dancer Rahul Rajak from Katihar presented a deeply expressive Kathak recital to the Madhurashtakam composed by Acharya Vallabhacharya, sung in the voice of and choreographed under the guidance of Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj. The piece, depicting the sweetness of Lord Krishna, heightened the grandeur and divinity of the festival. Following this, Rahul brought alive the vibrant hues of the monsoon month of Bhadrapada with a performance set to the thunderous musical rhythm of “Ghanghor Badal”. His final act, a Kathak experiment on Kajri steeped in the pangs of separation, gave the audience a vivid experience of rumbling clouds, flashing lightning, and dripping raindrops.

Adding to the cultural richness, renowned Rajasthani singer Ali Khan and his troupe enthralled the gathering. Beginning with the traditional welcome song “Padharo Mhare Desh”, they elevated Bihar’s spirit of hospitality. The resonance of his voice and the sweetness of his tunes thrilled the audience. The group also performed evergreen numbers like “Nibuda” and “Dama Dam Mast Kalandar”, accompanied by Rajasthani folk dances, which had the entire auditorium swaying with joy.

In the final segment, the cultural hues of Bihar adorned the stage. Chandni Shukla from Purnea and her team captivated the audience with their performances. They opened with a song by the great Maithili poet Vidyapati, followed by a cascade of Bhojpuri and Maithili folk songs that spread the fragrance of Bihar’s soil. To conclude the evening on a devotional note, artists from the Indian Dance Art Temple presented dances dedicated to the glory of Lord Harihar and Lord Vishnu, giving the festival a spiritually uplifting finale.