Kohima, February 19 (MExN): Few hundred artists representing the eight states of North East participated in the Octave Festival held recently at Vadodara/Baroda in Gurjarat from February 10 to 14. The artists displayed various tribal and folk dances, classical dances, handicrafts and dramas. Two bands, one each from Nagaland and Mizoram also put up a spectacular rock concert.
Governor of Nagaland and Assam PB Acharya graced the festival as chief guest on February 11. In his address, he gave an idea to the locals to invite the North East artists to their home and bond over a cup of tea. He said such simple gestures help people interact with each other and may become avenues to strike life-long friendships, according to a press release issued through Raj Bhavan, Kohima.
This idea struck a chord with one of the nearby neighbourhoods in Baroda. The residents of the locality invited 40 artists to have a Saturday brunch with them. Since it was organised overnight all the artists could not be accommodated so representatives from each troupe were called, the release said.
The artists were given a traditional Gujarati welcome of tikka on the forehead and garland. After the exchange of pleasantries, the Guajarati local women clad in their traditional outfits danced to the tunes of Garba (the local dance). Meanwhile, the Assamese contingent taught the local residents some Bihu moves, while the Mizo performers displayed and taught their dance to everyone present. The brunch which followed had the choicest delicacies from Gujarat.
“Such small exchanges have a huge potential to build a strong and a healthy country where all its citizens celebrate the diversity and vastness of the cultural heritage,” one of the hosts said.
