Vasantotsav

8 day cultural festival, Vasantotsav, was inaugurated at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. The dance forms of Chhattisgarh were highlighted as it’s the sister state of Gujarat.

• About the Festival:

The Vasantotsav is an 8 day cultural fair held at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. It is celebrated as the state’s spring festival in February. It is also called the ‘Sanskruti Kunj Fair’ (‘Sanskruti’ meaning culture and ‘Kunj’ meaning hub). It is to highlight the diversity of the country’s heritage.

• Theme of the Festival:

The 2020 Vasantotsav is being celebrated on the theme of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’. Under the Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat initiative, Gujarat is paired with Chhattisgarh as sister states. Hence, the festival started with a performances from Chhattisgarh.

• Panthi Dance:

Panthi Dance is a folk dance of Chhattisgarh, it is mainly performed by the Satnami tribe of Chhattisgarh. It is a religiously significant dance performed during the Maghi Purnima (birth anniversary of Guru Baba Ghasidas). It is usually performed by male dancers and uses musical instruments like mridanga and jhanjh.