6th Baba Jassa Singh Kapurthala heritage festival held

The magnificent Jagatjit Singh Palace was recently illuminated, signifying the grandeur of Kapurthala. And, the occasion was the 6th Baba Jassa Singh Kapurthala heritage festival.

By Karan Kapoor

Kapurthala, Oct.31 : The magnificent Jagatjit Singh Palace was recently illuminated, signifying the grandeur of Kapurthala. And, the occasion was the 6th Baba Jassa Singh Kapurthala heritage festival.

The three-day heritage festival was a feast for music lovers who congregated here.

The evenings were made extra special with soulful performances by greats like Veena exponent Mustafa Raza and Sufi and folk singer Hans Raj Hans on the last day.

Mustafa Raza, an exponent of Vichitra Veena, turned the occasion unforgettable for music lovers.

Amarjeet Thind, who heard the performance, said "It serves as an occasion when music lovers enjoy the music together. Vichitra Veena is being played and it is one of its kind in the country."

Other greats, who were at the festival, included Shubha Mudgal, renowned classic vocal music singer, Shafqat Ali Khan of Pakistan from Sham Chaurasi Gharana, Manjari Chaturvedi, Rajasthani musician who sings Punjabi Sufiana Kalam and Bhai Manohar Singh.

Anuradha Shukla, a visitor, said: "Six years ago they started the festival and today people know about Patiala Gharana or a Sham Chaurasi Gharana than earlier times.

Raza credited the royal families of Patiala and Kapurthala for patronizing the Veena. Apart from Raza, the popular Punjabi Sufi and folk singer Hans Raj Hans was also present on the occasion.

The festival spread awareness about Indian classical music and made an attempt to enlighten the audience about Baba Jassa Singh's life. The festival also aimed at captivating foreign tourists besides reviving the long-lost cultural heritage.

Anita Singh, a musicologist and advisor for Heritage festivals, Intach, said: "The folk dance of Punjab is very alive but classical music has gone into the background. So we thought that we should revive an interest in the classical music of Punjab with the help of government."

ANI