Rajgir Dance Festival, Bihar

Rajgir was earlier known by the name “Rajgriha”,and it was the first capital of the Magadhaempire which was situated in Bihar. Rajgir holds a special place for Bihar as it was once considered as the prime place to rule the empire. One of the main reasons for choosing Rajgir as the capital was that it was surrounded by mountains by all sides and, thus, it worked as fortified walls for the kingdom and made it difficult for the enemies to enter the premises. Rajgir is considered sacred and holy by not only Hindus but by Jains and Buddhists too, as the place has some traces of Buddha and Mahavir as well. The whole area of the Rajgir is covered with forested hills and apart from its heritage value; it is famous for tourists resorts also.

Rajgir Mahotsav, previously known as the RajgirNrityaMahotsav, is a festival of dance and music or it can also be referred to as the annual cultural fest of Bihar. The festival marks its beginning in the year 1986,and it is a three-day occasion of Rajgir in Bihar. The festival is usually organized by Nalanda district administration along with the support and aid of Bihar Government’s Department of Culture and Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation. The dance festival is majestic and gala celebration of classical and folk dances and classical music. People from all parts of the state participate in this Mahotsav with huge interest and zeal. The whole event is generally conducted in the month of October and that too in the end week of October.

The Chief Minister of Bihar in 1986, Mr.BindeshwariDubey, had inaugurated this festival and marked its commencement in the SwarnaBhadar area of Rajgir on 4thApril 1986. The Department of Tourism in Bihar had funded and organized the festival till 1989,but the event had to be postponed and neglected due to some political reasons. Thus, the celebration of Rajgir festival was stopped for a while. But then a few years later, in 1994, the festival was restarted after the unknown reasons were solved. From 1994, the festival is being conducted every year in Bihar by the Bihar Government and has gained huge popularity among the people of India.

The festival holds a historical significance,and, thus, it is conducted every year in collaboration with the Department of Tourism of Bihar. This festival attracts tourists in abundance from different parts of the country and promotes and celebrates the rich cultural and classical dances of India. Rajgir Mahotsav shows the cultural and ethnic side of India through the medium of classical and folk dances and music. The chief visitors of the occasion are popular celebrities or renowned dance artists from all around the nation. All those who are interested in classical and folk dance should definitely visit Rajgir during the festival duration.

This is one of the main festivals of Bihar,and every Bihari is super proud of their Rajgir dance festival. It is a festival which is full of colours and celebrations and creates an altogether different aura during those three days of the event. Not just dance, but artists who are fond of music can also come and participate in the event. There is no boundation in showcasing one’s talent in dance or music. One can present devotional songs, instrumental music, opera, a folk dance of different regions, classical dances of different schools and regions, ballet and many others. Those three days Rajgir experiences huge crowds all over the city,and the atmosphere is surreal and dreamlike.

Rajgir dance festival incorporates many more activities other than just dance and music. Competitions like Tonga race, Mehendi contests, martial arts competitions, food plaza, GramshreeMela, MahilaUtsav and other activities are also sponsored and conducted during those here days. Although, these activities are included recently along with the national and international dance forms.Rajgir holds a grand reputation all over India and even overseas. The current location of Rajgir event is QilaMaidan where every year the occasion is held amidst the mountains of Ratnagiri hills. Rajgir festival is mostly organized in the months of October or November during the upcoming winters.

Some prominent dance artists and musicians also perform on these festival days such as HemaMalini, SwapnaSundari, AnandSankar, Sonal Man Singh, Shovna Narayan, Madhumita Roy, NaliniKamalini, MadhaviMudgal and many more. This kind of festival represents the splendid ethnicity of cultural India in a magnificent manner,and people should be encouraged to attend and be aware of the real culture and traditions of India. Rajgir festival can be called as the cultural carnival of India which gives people the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents at a national platform. This also brings out the creativity and innovations in our different dance and music acts. The event of three days are action-packed,and one can see the whole of India at one go by attending the three-day event in Rajgir. The main reason behind introduction of this event was to increase awareness among Indians regarding their own culture, traditions and customs and show people that how versatile and diversified India is when it comes to our culture and heritage,and that is why Rajgir was the chosen as prime location to carry out this annual event as it is considered as a symbol of culture and heritage of Bihar.

If you are a dance lover or hold a passion for dance or music, this is the event one should not miss. It not only shows you what India has got to display but gives a feeling o realization that rather than opting for western dances, we should be promoting our classical and folk dances and even our classical and regional music which many people aren’t even aware of. This is the correct platform for people who want to carry the legacy of Indian dance and music to an international stage.