Dr Rita Das
By A Correspondent
Patna: Three classical music and dance artistes from Bihar were honoured in Kathmandu, Nepal, under the India-Nepal cultural exchange programme. Nepal’s renowned cultural organisation, Kirateshwar Sangeet Ashram, presented the prestigious Kirateshwar Samman to Dr Rita Das, Bihar’s only woman sarod player; Dr Rekha, a classical vocalist; and Dr Rama Das, a senior Kathak guru and recipient of the Bihar government’s Ambapali Award. The artistes were felicitated with certificates of honour and traditional ceremonial shawls during the Purnima Music Festival.
The music festival featured performances by classical artistes from both India and Nepal and was attended by audiences from the two countries as well as several other nations.
Organiser Rupa Nyopane said the institution organises the annual festival to preserve and promote pure Hindustani classical music in Nepal. She said Bihar’s artistes had been invited this year as part of an initiative to strengthen cultural exchange between Nepal and India. She added that the programme marked the beginning of a long-term effort and that the organisation would continue working in this direction.
The event opened with a classical vocal recital by Nepal’s Sanu Tamang, accompanied on the tabla by fellow Nepali musician Nimesh Kapali.
The highlight of the evening was the sarod recital by Bihar’s first woman sarod player, Dr Rita Das. Her melodious alaap and detailed exploration of the evening raga Rageshwari captivated the audience, while her rhythmic compositions and fast-paced improvisations drew enthusiastic appreciation. She concluded her performance with a traditional *Maand* melody from Rajasthan, accompanied on the tabla by Nepalese musician Anant Prajapati.
Earlier in the programme, Bihar’s Dr Rekha and Nepal’s Surabhi Paudel presented a selection of devotional songs, with tabla accompaniment by Nepalese artiste Vipul.
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