Welcome To Holy City Ujjain - Kalidasa Samoroh

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Padma Bhusana Late Pt. Surya Narayan Vyas, who started organizing Kalidasa Jayanti In Ujjain in the thirties, constituted Kalidasa Parishad to enroll the support of distinguished scholars and national leaders. Late Dr. Kailash Nath katju, the Chief Minister of M. P. was mainly inspired by him to celebrate the Kalidasa Samhoraha on a national scale first kalidasa Samaroh at Ujjain was inaugurated by late President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad and the occasion turned out to be an important in the cultural history of India .A large numbers of eminent scholars in high dignitaries assembled for a week long celebration Russian , German, Iranian and Chinese delegation also participated in the function.

Most of the Indian states contributed generous donations for the Samaroha and participated in through their representatives . The Natya Samaroha and an All India exhibition of paintings and sculptures conducted by the M.P. Kala Parishad attracted the participation of noted artists. Well known authorities on Kalidasa like late Dr. V. Raghavan of Madras University and Dr. Gauri Nath Shastri, the then Principal, Govt. Sanskrit College, Calcutta, themselves acted and produced the plays of Kalidasa on a specially erected stage, for not less then fifteen thousand strong an audience. Mr. Wu Shuch, who had staged Shakuntala at Peking in 1957, also participated in the Drama Festival.
Started on such a grand scale in 1958, Kalidasa Samaroha is being celebrated every year at Ujjain. Year after year Ujjain has attracted the best known artists in the field of dramatics and dance performance. Well known British Dr. A. L. Basham, now settled in Australia, Prof., Hideo Kimura of Buddhist University, Kyoto, Japan and Mr. Walter Leifer of West Germany have visited Ujjain to pay their tributes to Kalidasain different years.
Every year, beginning on the Kartika Shukla Ekadashi, Kalidasa Samaroha is celebrated with effective audiences running into several thousands. Reflecting the rich and multifaceted attainments of Kalidasa, the Samaroha consists of Productions of Kalidas's original plays in Sanskrit, versions of Sanskrit plays in Hindi and other Indian Languages, performances of traditional theatrical and dance forms, ballets, and dance recitals, and an All India Exhibition of Art and Sculpture. Weeklong seminars, scholastic discussions and encounters on various aspects of Kalidasa, Sanskrit theatre and literature highlight the celebrations.
In 1973 at the instance of M.P. Kala Parishad a panel of eminent theatre personalities and experts was appointed to advise on re-structuring of the Samaroha and to suggest ways and means for making the festival broad-based and a more relevant forum of the classical tradition and the contemporary creative efforts.
The panel recommended that the Samaroha should be broad-based so as to make it truly a national forum for creative exploration of our multi-faced ancient tradition and that this exploration could be achieved only if it was organically related to the contemporary theatrical effort. The panel further recommended that in each Samaroha a play of Kalidasa or any other Sanskrit play-write should be performed in original Sanskrit, as per norms prescribed in Bharata's Natya Shastra in order to authentically re-construct the ancient Sanskrit style, another play of Sanskrit in any of the theatrically rich Indian languages including Hindi, a production of a Sanskrit play in the Likdharmi style in Hindi, a ballet based on either Kalidasa or some other Sanskrit classic and recital of one of the traditional theatre or dance forms which are living remnant of the ancient Sanskrit tradition such as Koddiattam, Ankiant, Chhau, Kuchipudi, Yakshagaan etc. and a contemporary Hindi play making use of the life and age of Kalidasa or the classical tradition in general should be performed in the Samaroha. A living dialogue between the scholars, Sanskrit theatre and performing arts was also considered as a necessary part of the Samaroha.
The panel also recommended that stage worthy translations of Sanskrit plays in Hindi and other languages should be prepared and published and that there should be a museum and a library consisting of books, photographs, manuscripts, films, tapes, costumes and other material relating to Sanskrit and traditional theatre. It was also recommended that a well equipped theatre hall should be built in Ujjain and that a center named after Kalidasa designed to study, explore and creatively use classical performing arts should be established. The recommendations of the panel were accepted and the theatre festival was restructured accordingly.
As result, the government of Madhya Pradesh established Kalidasa Akademi at Ujjain in order to organize the Samaroha every year in keeping view of the memory of Mahakavi Kalidasa. Accordingly, the Akademi starts to organize the Samaroha from the year 1979 in collaboration with Vikram University under the patronage of the department of culture Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Thus, the glory of the Kalidasa Samaroha flourished year after year not only in national level but also in International level.

CONTRIBUTION
Dignified Politicians, Artists, Performers and Scholars took part in the Samaroha as honorable chief guest They are mainly Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Honorable President of India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Honorable Prime Minister of India, Gyani Jailsingh, Honorable President of India, Shri R. Venkata Raman, Honorable President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Honorable President of India.
The first President of India Honorable Dr. Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the first All India Kalidasa Samaroha in the year 1958. In his speech, he told that Kalidasa Samaroha is really a national festival. He gave the massage to the audience that Kalidasa would be remembered not only through this Samaroha but also we have to study the works of Kalidasa and have to learn the lesson of national unity, patriotism, mutual understanding and moral values.
Like, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, inaugurated the Kalidasa Samaroha in the year 1959. In his inaugural speech, he proved that the galaxy of scholar, poets, critics, artists and dramatists who gathered here are representing a mini India. He told that it should be celebrated in a large scale.

CULTURAL PANORAMA
Samroah is celebrated with effective audiences running into several thousands . Reflecting the rich and multifaceted attainments of Kalidasa , the samaroha consists of production of Kalidasa’s original plays in interesting visual language .Samaroha is a platform where various artist define their expression for kalidasa - The journey of samaroha reflects evolution of art in the soul custody of artist and viewers . We also see the mood of creation evolving from classical to experimental in all medium of expression . Enlightening the modern vision of Art .

DRAMA

Kalidasa Samaroha provides a stage to the theater lovers from all over the world . Stage has witnessed some of the eminent directors and their work of art. Directors have contributed curious mix of classical and modern sensibilities through dramatics making Kalidasa multidimensional playwrite yet abiding the rules and directives of Natyashastra .

In the first day of Samaroha, a play of Kalidasa staged by a reputed drama group every year in Sanskrit. Apart from this, the plays of Kalidasa and other Sanskrit plays are also staged in Hindi A list of institution/eminent directors/ took participation in the Kalidasa Samaroha is given :

	Kerala Kala Mandapam, Trivendram.
	Kashi Hindu Vishvavidyalaya, Varanasi.
	Kalidasa Akademi, Ujjain
	Prachyavani, Calcutta
	Boolos Theatre Group,Athens ( Greece Theatre Production )
	Vasoda Drama, Tokyo (Japan)
	Sopanam, Trivendram.
	Sanskrit Rang, Chennai.
	Surbharati, New Delhi
	Contribution of Play Directors
	Prof. V. Raghavan
	Prof. Adya Rangacharya
	Dr. K.D. Tripathi
	Dr. Prabhat Kumar Bhattacharya
	Prof. Shriniwas Rath
	Shri K.N. Panikkar
	Shri Mani Madhav Chakyar
	Rukmini Arundal
	Shri Ratan Theum
	Shri B.V. Karant
	Smt. Shanta Gandhi
	Smt. Vijya Mehta
	Shri Shyamanand Jalan
	Shri M.K. Raina
	Shri Dhirendra Kumar
	Shri Kumar Roy
	Smt. Premlata Sharma
	Shri Habib Tanveer
	Shri E. Alkaji

Classical Ballets

The events of Classical dances are divided into two forms which are presented on 2nd and 3rd day of the Samaroha. In these presentations, such themes are presented which project important classical stories available in the form of literature in India. The Ballet based on classical theme has been regular feature of the Samaroha and in presented by the eminent cultural Institutions in the Samaroha. A List in given :

	Kerala Kala Mandapam, Trivendram.
	Natan Kala Nilayam, Chennai
	Theatre Academy, Poland
	Darpan Academy, Ahmedabad
	Nritya Shree, Baroda
	Nalanda Shodha Kendra, Mumbai
	Shri Shankranand Kala Kendra, Sikandarabad

Classical Dance

The dances in India have developed through the ages and have established different forms in various parts of the country, like Kuchipudi, Mohini Attam, Bhartnatyam, Oddisi, Manipuri etc. Kalidasa Samaroha has attracted the attention of well known artists in the field of dance program has been included in the main schedule of the Samaroha. A list of renowned dancers who performed in the Samaroha is given :

	Pt. Birju Maharaj
	Sushri Rohini Bhate
	Sushri Yamini Krishna Murty
	Sushri Samyukta Panigrahi
	Sushri Sobha Naidu
	Sushri Sonal Mansingh
	Sushri Madu Mitta Rout
	Sushri Ketki Narayan
	Sushri Archana Joglekar
	Sushri Anubhuti Mukharjee
	Sushri Poushali Mukharjee
	Sushri Alka Kanungo
	Sushri Madhavi Mudgal
	Sushri Meenakshi Shesadri
	Sushri Kanak Rele

Music

Kalidasa Samaroha has been a place of attraction for great musicians of India. In Kalidasa Samaroha, instrumental and vocal music have been played by reputed musicians. A list of renowned musicians participated in the Samaroha is given below :

	Pt. Omkarnath Thakur
	Shri Budhidutta Mukherjee
	Ustad Bismilla Khan
	Shri Raghunath Seth
	Shri Doraiswami Iyengar
	Rajan-Sajan Mishra
	Raja Chatrapati Singh
	Pt. C.R. Vyas
	Begum Parvin Sultana
	Sushree Sulochana Bruhaspati
	Shri Arvind Parikh
	Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
	Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan
	Pandit Hariprasad Chourasia
	Dagar Bandhu
	Ustad Dilsad Ahamad Khan
	Dr. M. Balmuralikrishna
	Pandit Jasraj
	Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

POETS MEET - (Kavi-Samavaya)

For the first time, the Akademi started to organize the poets Meet Program in the Kalidasa Samaroha. Thus, the Akademi providing a platform to the reputed Sanskrit poets and also to the new comers in this field to recite their own poems in sanskrit composed by them. Generally the themes of the poetry is recited by poets based in both classical and modern. It is a unique program of Kalidasa Samaroha which attracts to audiences.

A list of renowned Sanskrit Scholars and poets participated in the Poets Meet Program is given below :

	Dr. Bachchoolal Awasthi
	Prof. Shriniwas Rath
	Dr. Kamlesh Dutta Tripathi
	Prof. Rewaprasad Dvivedi
	Dr. Bhaskaracharya Tripathy
	Dr. Ramakant Shukla
	Prof. Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra
	Prof.Radha Vallabha Tripathi
	Dr. Kesab Chandra Das
	Dr. Puspa Diskhit
	Dr. Bindheswari Prasad Mishra
	Dr. Jagannath Pathk
	Dr. Ichchharam Dvivedi

EXHIBITION
National Kalidasa Exhibition is also one of a post of Kalidasa Samaroh. It is based on the artist's original and creative expression of the artistic perception of Kalidasa. The exhibits are required to be portrayed in Traditional Indian styled Painting and Sculpture style or Traditional Indian folk Art style. Every year, the Exhibition is organized by the Akademi in the Kalidasa Samaroha.