By Olivia Sarkar

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANSlife): Routes 2 Roots organised Virsa Utsav, a great cultural festival in Noida, to celebrate and love the success of its non-profit platform for digital study of performing arts, Virsa. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan -- Padma Vibhushan, Baha Ud-din-Dagar -- Sangeet Natak Academy awardee, Hemlata S Mohan --Chairperson of CCRT (Centre for Cultural Resources and Training), Former Governor of Uttrakhand Vinod Kumar Duggal, Rakesh Chaurasia -- Indian Flautist, and others were among those who attended the event.

The event paid tribute to late Pandit Rajan Mishra and many others who lost their battle with Covid this year, staying true to its vows to serve art and artists. Pierrot Theatre Group performed 'Ghalib in New Delhi' as part of the big event.

Ghalib in New Delhi

"What began as a service has now become a mission to serve, connect, and empower artists and artistes across the country. We are extremely proud of our achievements and milestones that we have achieved till now, and these will act as an inspiration for our journey ahead. I want to thank everyone for giving us support and encouragement in our endeavours. We believe digital is the future and are confident that platforms like Virsa will accelerate our cultural movement and will help us to strengthen and encourage each individual involved across the country," said Teena Vachani, Co-Founder, Routes 2 Roots.

"It is indeed a great honour to receive such appreciation, honour and support from luminaries who have achieved so much in their respective fields by making our country proud. I believe a platform like Virsa will not just empower the upcoming talents but will bridge the gaps between them and the maestros. It will give them an opportunity to seek inspiration from them and learn from them. We are constantly walking ahead to work for peace building through the medium of cultural exchange and hope that by understanding each other's cultures well, we can nurture tolerance, mutual respect, and peace through art at the global level," said Rakesh Gupta, Co-Founder, Routes 2 Roots.

Virsa, Routes 2 Roots' flagship programme, has evolved into a vast cultural movement over the years. With a modest beginning in 2016, the programme has evolved to provide cultural education to kids in 22,000 schools across India, spanning all states and districts and affecting nearly two crore children through free digital classes. It is the world's most comprehensive and inclusive Indian cultural programme, and it continues to serve the field of performing arts via a variety of noble activities.