Golden Jubilee Edition of Khajuraho Festival

On February 20th 2024, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav inaugurated the gala golden jubilee edition of the iconic Khajuraho Dance Festival marking 50 years of India’s famed week-long cultural carnival which commenced in 1975.

The one-week long dance event takes place to promote and encourage dance, artists, culture and heritage of India with several Indian classical dance forms like Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniattam.

Grand Event Milestone

The star-studded ceremony witnessed renowned dancers led by famous kathak exponent Shovana Narayan kickstarting mega celebrations to commemorate five decades of showcasing the country’s rich classical and folk-dance heritage at Khajuraho’s breathtaking Western temple complexes – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Largest Kathak Dance Ensemble

The opening night performance witnessed 1,484 kathak artists led by Shovana Narayan and Spanish dancer Antonia setting a new Guinness world record for biggest kathak dance.

Festival Legacy Over 50 Years

In its journey since the first edition, the Khajuraho Dance Festival platform has nurtured preservation of India’s ancient dance customs including reviving rare styles while offering a spectacular visual treat to enthusiasts and tourists amidst the town’s magnificent temples.

Boosting Cultural Tourism

The 50th Khajuraho Dance Festival also cements growing global prominence of Madhya Pradesh’s cultural tourism landscape with better connectivity and world-class venues, promising huge revenue potential waiting to be unlocked.

About the Festival

The event is organised by the Department of Culture and assisted by Madhya Pradesh Tourism. Hosted each year at the magnificent city of Khajuraho located in the district of Chhatarpur, the artists perform in the backdrop of historical monuments. The festival draws top exponents of major Indian dance styles from across the country.

Classical dance forms presented range from Kathak, Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri to folk dances of Madhya Pradesh are showcased.

Ancient Temple Architecture

The Western Group of temples famous for their Nagara style and sensuous carvings provide a unique assembly point intersecting spirituality, history, architecture, music and dance. The ‘Sandhya Tandava’ dance of Lord Shiva finds extensive sculptural representation.

Most Khajuraho temples were built between 885 CE and 1000 CE by the Chandela dynasty. Though the Khajuraho group of temples were built together, they were dedicated to two religions, Hinduism and Jainism. The Jain temples are located on east-southeast region of Khajuraho monuments.

The monuments at Khajuraho were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986.

Category: Art & Culture Current Affairs