Place Making Online

Madhya Pradesh, the land of Khajuraho temples, can be rightfully called a window to our historic past. But what really reflects the vivid tradition of this state is the dance and music, especially within the tribes. These practices have not been affected by the modern nuances of the various forms of dance. Let us know in detail about how this pristine culture that is being followed by the people has remained unchanged for years.

Madhya Pradesh is the proud host of the globally popular Khajuraho Dance Festival in the Chhatarpur district. With the backdrop of Odissi, Kathak, Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi, this festival gives us a glimpse of unaltered music and dance styles which are followed by the people till today. If legends are to be believed, many Gods were great dancers too and that is why special focus is laid upon their dance forms in this event. For instance, the beautiful Rambha, Menaka, Urvashi were considered as very skilled dancers. Lord Krishna’s gopis performed Ras Leela in order to lure Krishna. Similarly Lord Shiva danced to express his anger in Tandava. Khajuraho festival promotes these unblemished forms of dance each year to keep their culture intact.

On the same lines, people from the cities of Ujjain and Bhopal have efficiently preserved the original, age old traditions of dance and music with their cultural music festival known as the Malwa Utsav and Ghunghroo respectively. Both festivals are a storehouse of talent from around the world. And the best part is that the melange of various artists in these festivals hasn’t diluted the essence of its traditional parallels even with such a long passage of time. If you plan to visit both the festivals, you can choose to board the Ujjain to Bhopal train that will make the journey much easier for you.

The Tansen Music Festival held in the main city of Gwalior. This 5 day long classical music festival is dedicated to one of the greatest musicians of India – Tansen. Attended by huge number of people, the musical collaboration keeps the legendary music alive in our hearts. To be a part of this celebration, you will have to book your tickets before hand since there is a huge crowd that lands in the city for the same.

Apart from the mainstream culture, some other tribal festivals like the Bhagoria and Karma keep the flame burning so that the present generation doesn’t lose the roots of their past. The tribal influence has been in dominance in the region, taking the geographical fact that the Indian coastlines and the plains were run by major kingdoms and invaders, thus, overlooking the forested central plateau region.

Altogether, the culture of Madhya Pradesh is a harmonious amalgamation of all religions and communities, which reflects the oneness of ethnic backgrounds and Indian secularism. From its distinct communities’ languages, attire, cuisine and art forms, the state truly connects with everyone and maintains a place right in the heart, as it maintains in the geography of India.