The \u2018Pune Festival\u2019, a splendid confluence of art, culture, music, dance, and sport, commemorates its illustrious 37th edition this year. This celebration will unfold from 27 August to 6 September during the grandeur of the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav festivities.<\/p>\n
Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will inaugurate 37th Pune Festival today, 29th August at 4:30 PM at Shri Ganesh Kala Krida Rangmanch, Swargate, Pune. It will be presided over by former Union Minister for Home, GOI Sushilkumar Shinde. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of Higher and Technical Education-GOM Chandrakant Patil, Minister for tourism-GOM Shambhuraj Desai, Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress President Harshavardhan Sapkal, MP Sunetra Pawar, MP Medha Kulkarni, MP Shrirang Barne, Commissioner of PMC Naval Kishore Ram and Deputy Director of MTDC-Pune Shama Pawar will be the guest of Honour.<\/p>\n
The Pune Festival is jointly organized by Pune Festival Committee, the citizens of Pune and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation. All programs of Pune Festival are free for citizens.<\/p>\n
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and the Kohinoor Group are main sponsors with Panchshil and Suma Shilp as associate sponsors. Co-sponsors are Bharat Forge, NECC, IIFL Capital, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Suhana Masale and Ahura Builders.<\/p>\n
In keeping with its tradition of honouring excellence the Festival will at its inaugural ceremony confer the prestigious \u2018Lifetime Achievement Award\u2019 as well as the \u2018Pune Festival Awards\u2019 to distinguished figures whose contributions have left an enduring imprint upon their respective domains.<\/p>\n
This year the \u2018Lifetime Achievement Award\u2019 will be bestowed upon Dr. Shivajirao Kadam, Chancellor of Bharati Vidyapeeth and Dr. P. A. Inamdar, Chancellor of Dr. P. A. Inamdar University. Additionally the \u2018Pune Festival Award\u2019 will be conferred upon Actress Amruta Khanvilkar, veteran playwright Dr. Satish Alekar, Indian cricketer Kedar Jadhav, Maharashtra Kesari Prithviraj Mohol, Dnyandev Kamathe of Mauli Agro Tourism Centre and entrepreneur Supriya Badwe.<\/p>\n
The Pune Festival upholds a tradition of honouring the city\u2019s Ganesh Mandals that have celebrated the centenary of the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. At every inaugural ceremony the \u2018Jai Ganesh Puraskar\u2019 is conferred a distinction instituted in memory of the late Prataprao (Tatya) Godse of the Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust. This year the distinction of the \u2018Jai Ganesh Puraskar\u2019 will be conferred upon \u2018Naidu Ganpati Mandal\u2019 of Rasta Peth.<\/p>\n
Inaugural Ceremony<\/p>\n
As in every year the inaugural ceremony of the present edition shall be nothing short of spectacular. The proceedings shall commence with the mellifluous strains of the shehnai rendered by the venerable maestro Tukaram Daithankar accompanied by his group. This will be followed by the ritual of lamp-lighting and the auspicious Ganesh Aarti.<\/p>\n
Thereafter the Kalavardhini Dance Group will present a Ganesh choreographed by the danseuse Arundhati Patwardhan. The Janaki Group of Garba and Folk Arts will offer a performance entitled \u2018Shiv Tapasvinche Nrutya\u2019 under the choreography of Bhairavi Sachdev. International students from Symbiosis Institute will enthrall the audience with their creative \u2018Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam\u2019 dance. This programme is conceptualized and directed by Amruta Ruikar and Co-ordinated by Rupali Chaudhary.<\/p>\n
A distinctive highlight will be the Mallakhamb demonstrations performed by the young gymnasts of the Maharashtra Mandal. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sikkim\u2019s integration into India, the Ruturang Cultural Group will present the \u2018Maruni\u2019 folk dance\u2019 of Sikkim alongside the vibrant \u2019Bihu\u2019 dance of Assam curated by Karuna Patil and Devika Borthakur.<\/p>\n
Students from Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh studying at the Ishwarpuram Institute (Pune) will perform the \u2018War Dance of Nagaland\u2019 and the \u2018Festival Dance of Arunachal\u2019 co-ordinated by Vineet Kuber. \u2018The Pune Malayali Federation\u2019 will showcase a performance by Keral artistes from Pune under the direction of Rajan Nair. The Tribal Research and Training Institute of the Directorate of Tribal Welfare will present the \u2018Tarapa\u2019 dance arranged by Pushpalata Madavi.<\/p>\n
The evening will culminate with a unique Kathak\u2013Lavani jugalbandi by Payalvrund Dance Academy, choreographed by Nikita Moghe.<\/p>\n
The inaugural ceremony will be compered in Marathi by Rajesh Damle and in English by Sarita Mulchandani.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The \u2018Pune Festival\u2019, a splendid confluence of art, culture, music, dance, and sport, commemorates its illustrious 37th edition this year. This celebration will unfold from 27 August to 6 September during the grandeur of the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav festivities. Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will inaugurate 37th Pune Festival today, 29th August …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n