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Indian maestros at Tiranga show

DUBAI — An electrifying performance by Indian artistes in Dubai on Thursday marked 60 years of Indian Independence. The much-talked-about Tiranga, musically and poetically interpreted the Indian tricolour, revealing the deeper meaning behind the five elements that constitute the flag.

Living up to the expectations of the packed hall, Tiranga, brought together the country’s renowned poet, Padma Bhushan Javed Aktha and its finest musicians, including Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj and Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Padma Vidhwan U. Srinivas, Pandit Bhavani Shankar Kathak, Pandit Vijay Ghate and S.V Ramani.

Akhtar elaborated on the fact that the colour saffron stood for courage, white for peace, green for the colours of nature and fertility while the Ashoka Chakra stands for progress and truth (dharma). Even as he poetically and symbolically described each element, the musicians took turns to creatively infer, through their instruments.

Lyrical poetry juxtaposed with the different instruments and Jasraj’s powerful Hindustani music, naturally left the Indian diaspora enthralled. Jasraj mesmerised the audience with his mastery over the flute. Youth icon Ghate teased the audience with his tabla, while Srinivas’s unique ability to blend classical music with his famous mandolin was equally charming. It was Ramani and Bhavani Shankar Kathak who stole the show with the ‘gadam’ and the ‘mridungam’, respectively.

Tiranga’s grand finale was a synergy of all elements, where the artistes performed a ‘jugalbandi’, reaching a crescendo in the end. Akthar, later, rendered his poem read out the previous day in the Indian Parliament, summing up India’s achievements and its drawbacks.

The Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Talmiz Ahmad, and the Indian Consul-General in Dubai, Venu Rajamony, stressed the need to further strengthen ties with the UAE. “We have to refresh our ties with our neighbours and explore it further with the UAE,” he said, adding “Let us celebrate our country and its 60 years.”

The UAE’s Minister for Education, Dr Hanif Hassan was also present at the musical extravaganza, organised by the Consulate-General of India in Dubai, at the World Trade Centre’s Rashid Hall.

• UAE