Ministry of Culture under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrated the launch event of Qila Aur Kahaniya Campaign at Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan from 28th to 30th April 2023. The Western Zone Cultural Centre along with ASI Jodhpur Circle put up a show which was full of information, history, art, and culture of Chittorgarh fort and built heritage of Rajasthan.
28th April- Various artists from different parts of Rajasthan came and registered for Phad Art and Water Color Workshops. Experts on both the art mediums started a coaching session for the learners which was planned to continue for the next two days. In the evening, a light and sound show on Chittorgarh fort was organized which narrated the vast history of the fort and its various battles.
29th April- A heritage walk was organized from Kumbha Palace to Vijay Stambh where ASI Official Govind Singh Meena briefed the participants about the architectural marvel of Vijay stambh and the surrounding premises. He informed about the various building materials used in construction and the techniques used back them which helped these sites survive the test of time. This extremely informative session was enjoyed by all.
An exhibition on the forts of Rajasthan as well as the Forts falling under Qila and Kahaniya campaign was put up at the venue.
It was followed by the inauguration of the craft bazar where skilled artisans displayed their art and craft and opened up the opportunity for people to take a piece of Rajasthani art and Culture home.
In the evening, 13 iconic locations across the country presented a series of simultaneous projection mapping shows featuring inspirational stories of ordinary Indians and cultural heritage. Chittorgarh fort was one of the locations.
This was organized to mark the completion of 100 episodes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pioneering radio show, 'Mann Ki Baat'.
An informative film on Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’s 9 themes as well as a film on the theme of Cultural Pride and its constituent campaigns was played for the audience.
Post this, Rajasthani Chari dance, a well-known folk dance, was presented by trained artists.
A Kathak performance on Meera’s bhajans mesmerized the audience and cast a spell for an hour where everyone’s eyes were glued on the stage. This presentation had a creative twist where Garba was also included in the traditional performance.
The evening ended with Rajasthani folk dance performance where trained dancers performed ghoomar.
The event saw humungous public participation in the quiz session where all of the questions were answered by an eager audience, and they got the opportunity to take home a souvenir as a prize.
30th April- The morning of 30th April started with an hour-long Yoga session where people learnt various pranayamas and aasaanas of Yoga to keep their mind and body in sync.
After the session people had the opportunity to explore the fort and nearby areas, mingle with the artists, and take part in sketching and coloring. Post this, all the artists and trainers attending the Phad art and Water color workshops were felicitated with participation certificates.
In the evening, a special live performance on the Bhajans of Meerabai enchanted the audience. As the live performance reached a crescendo, the audience couldn’t stop themselves from tapping their feet on the devotional numbers.
A performance of Odyssey by trained artists under Krishnendu Saha presented a mesmerizing performance.