Ludhiana: Fest celebrates art, music & craftsmanship
These days the industrial city of Ludhiana is losing itself to Sufi nights, exploring rich handicrafts and indulging in an array of culinary experiences from across the country. The 10-day Rural Urban Heritage (RUH) Festival being held at the grounds of Government College for Girls is proving to be every art lovers’ delight where specialities from various states are available under one roof.
The festival features award-winning artisans like Islam Ahmed, a three-time Cannes Film Festival demonstrator in lac-bangle making, and Sant Kabir Awardee Rapolu Ramalingam as key attractions.
The live demonstration of traditional crafts such lac bangle making, Rajasthani woodwork, khadi weaving & tie-dye, Tamil Nadu wood carving, glass and Madhubani painting, doll making, etc, is catching the attention of every visitor.
It is interesting to watch how Islam Ahmed kneads and twists, pulls and braids lac into a bangle. “We get the lac from trees and approximately make 40 pairs of bangles from 1 kg. Colours come from semi-precious stone dust. In a day, we make around 200 pairs,” says Ahmed.
Every evening is a star-studded cultural night featuring globally acclaimed artistes, who captivate Ludhiana’s art lovers. Sufi evening with Sultana Nooran, Sufi band performance by Suhail, qawwali night with Niazi Brothers, stage performance by Harmon German duo, live act by Ali Zain and performance by Lakhwinder Wadali are the main attractions.
The Rural Urban Heritage Festival brings together renowned artists from seven countries and 20 Indian states for performances in folk dance, folk music, handicrafts and Sufi traditions. The festival also host live workshops on sculpture, handicrafts, and other art forms.
First Evening of the festival was dedicated to Kabir’s couplets. RUH Festival transformed into a deeply spiritual experience with the resonating verses of Kabir, including “Ae Ji Ram Naam Ki Loot Hai…” and “Dheere-Dheere Re Mana, Dheere Sab Kuch Hoye…”. Renowned artiste Mukesh Chauhan and his team mesmerised the audience by weaving Kabir’s couplets into soulful melodies, introducing the audience to the rich tradition of Indian culture and saintly wisdom.
The audience wholeheartedly immersed themselves into the performance, experiencing the profound wisdom of Kabir’s words.
Sufi evening by Sultana Nooran was another musical and spiritual journey as the renowned singer captivated the audience with her enchanting voice, filling the air with the divine essence of Sufi music. Her performance included popular renditions of “Kalandar”, “Dama Dam Mast Kalandar” and other timeless Sufi classics.
Culinary delights from across the country are tickling the taste buds of the city people. From South’s idli dosa to Bihar’s litti chokha, Rajasthan’s daal baati churma, Mumbai’s pav bhaji and of course’s Punjab’s scrumptious thali, everything is available to satiate your appetite.
“Nothing beats daal baati churma as its authentic taste is available in the festival. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal as food was one of the best aspects of the festival,” said Vaneeta, a visitor.
Festival organisers Sunil Verma and Varun Verma said the festival aims at preserving and promoting India’s musical and spiritual heritage. “Our goal is to preserve, promote and popularise India’s rich cultural heritage,” the duo said. The RUH Festival is on till April 13 at the grounds of Government College for Girls.
Ludhiana