Kala Utsav Preserving Indian Culture

Conceived as an innovative way to disseminate and sustain cultural art forms, the Dharmic Sabha’s ‘Kala Utsav’, meaning “festival of arts”, continues to be the launch pad for talented youths from the various regional branches of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha.
Over fifteen years ago, it was recognised that there was dwindling interest among the young generation in playing the diverse Indian musical instruments; that knowledge of Hindi and the Ramayan was limited to a minority, and trained classical and folk dancers were fewer in numbers. The idea of a cultural forum encouraging friendly competition, with cash and trophy incentives, was born. It is the brainchild of Indrani Persaud.

It was not meant for professionals, but seen as an avenue to motivate young people to continue traditions of their fore parents and to simultaneously build bases of amateur talent in various regions for further development, thereby providing temples and communities with the continuity in these art forms.
Every community’s mandir satsangh: gatherings where minds unite through music, meditation, and wisdom to experience a higher state of consciousness, required musicians and singers, and Kala Utsav was the way to fulfil this need. The standard of dance countrywide was at an all-time low. People were only too willing to send their children on television and stage to gyrate in garments that bordered on lewd – in the name of Indian dance.
Kala Utsav’s mission was to sensitise communities about wholesome and trained dance techniques that could be performed in a dignified manner, and also to provide training to those dancers who were serious about this art form. Shri Ramcharitmanas has always had mass appeal among Hindus throughout the world. The Utsav’s focus is to encourage young people to be familiar with Shri Ramcharitmanas’ teachings, and, at the same time, revive the Hindi language.
By 2008, the Utsav was able to accomplish improving the standard of folk dance, and Guyanese were able to enjoy wholesome group dances countrywide. Training was being provided by the Sabha free of cost in classical dance in most of its praants. A few upcoming classical dancers were identified and succeeded in securing prizes at Kala Utsav.
Noting the upsurge of interest in musical instruments over the years, the Utsav capitalised on this and introduced a new category entitled, ‘Instrumentals’. This allowed five or more young musicians to work together forming small bands that played creative pieces. The Utsav’s mission of providing each region with musicians was satisfied.
Over the years, Kala Utsav has been noted as the forum for discovering young singers. The Sabha continues in its commitment to nurture these talented singers, and they are assured of wide exposure and promotion in all the Sabha’s programmes. One of the triumphant winners of Kala Utsav, who won the male category of singing as a child, went on to sing on the famous  television programme “SA RE GA MA PA” hosted in New York.
If there is a negative to the Utsav, it has been the impact of migration from Guyana, which has led to the loss of talent that had only just begun to be nurtured. In spite of that, hundreds of youths still assemble on stage of the annual event at the Dharmic Sanskritik Kendra for the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s Kala Utsav, eagerly looking forward to receiving their trophies. This is testimony of the festival’s growth, ensuring its permanent fixture on the Sabha’s annual calendar of events, and providing assurance of the propagation of Indian art forms by the Sabha.
In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Dr Vindhya Persaud, assistant general secretary of the Sabha, noted that the Utsav brings together people from all over the country to compete in a friendly atmosphere in various categories.
“We have been doing this since in the 90s. Kala Utsav encourages people 25 years old and below to develop their skills in various fields such as music, dance (classical and folk), and Hindi singing (kirtan). We’re doing this because we want to ensure our culture is maintained in Guyana, instil an appreciation for their cultural heritage in young ones, and to develop their talents to their fullest potential. The Dharmic Sabha’s unwavering commitment, through its many programmes like the Kala Utsav, ensures that the torch of art forms, culture and tradition is secure for future generations. (Guyana Times Indian Arrival Magazine)