Mahakumbh Nagar, Feb 5 (IANS): Following the auspicious Basant Panchami Snan on February 3, the ‘Maha Kumbh of Culture’ (grand cultural festival) is set to resume, bringing together the rich diversity of India's traditions. The Culture Department has set the stage for a spectacular celebration at the Ganga Pandal, over the next four days.
Renowned artistes from across the country will grace the stage, adding vibrancy to the religious gathering. The line-up includes dazzling performances by Odissi dancer Dona Ganguly on February 7, veteran playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy on February 8, classical dancer Sonal Mansingh and singer Suresh Wadkar on February 9, followed by the noted singer Hariharan on February 10.
All cultural programs will however remain suspended from February 11 to 13 due to the sacred Magh Purnima Snan on February 12.
Main events at Ganga Pandal
The Ganga Pandal will host a series of cultural performances from February 7 to 10, featuring renowned artists from different parts of India.
February 7:
Dona Ganguly (Kolkata) – Odissi Dance
Yogesh Gandharv & Abha Gandharv – Sufi Singing
Suma Sudhindra (Karnataka) – Classical Music
Dr. Devkinandan Sharma (Mathura) – Rasleela Performance
February 8:
Kavita Krishnamurthy & Dr. L. Subramaniam – Sugam Sangeet
Preeti Patel (Kolkata) – Manipuri Dance
Narendra Nath (West Bengal) – Sarod Performance
Dr. Devkinandan Sharma (Mathura) – Rasleela Performance
February 9:
Suresh Wadkar – Sugam Sangeet
Padma Shri Madhup Mudgal (Delhi) – Hindustani Classical Music
Sonal Mansingh (Delhi) – Odissi Dance
Dr. Devkinandan Sharma (Mathura) – Rasleela Performance
February 10:
Hariharan – Sugam Sangeet
Shubhda Varadkar (Mumbai) – Odissi Dance
Sudha (Tamil Nadu) – Carnatic Music
Earlier, on the sacred occasion of Basant Panchami, the saints and spiritual leaders took holy dip at Triveni Sangam in large numbers and also strongly responded to critics of the Maha Kumbh. They praised the arrangements made by the Yogi Adityanath government and the facilities provided to devotees while calling out the critics for alleged attempts to create ‘negativity and pessimism’ over the world's largest religious event.