The 21-day workshop on the basic elements of theater and the direction of Sanskrit plays concluded with the presentation of the Sanskrit play “Natya Muktivarsam.”

CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: From June 3 to June 23, a 21-day workshop on the basic elements of theater and the direction of Sanskrit plays was organized at the Bhopal campus of the Central Sanskrit University, operated by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. More than 60 participants from various states across the country took part in this workshop, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Agartala, Odisha, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, and others.

Prominent scholars and artists from the field of theater came to provide training, including Prof. Yogesh Soman, Director of the Academy of Theater Arts at Mumbai University; renowned litterateur and former Vice-Chancellor of the National Sanskrit University, Radhavallabh Tripathi; dancer Aishwarya Harish; and Kathak dance expert Padma Shri Puru Dadheech. The closing ceremony of this workshop was held today, June 23.

The workshop was organized under the patronage of the Honorable Vice-Chancellor of Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, Srinivas Varkhedi Ji. The Chief Guest was C.G. Vijay Kumar Menon, Vice-Chancellor of Maharshi Panini Sanskrit and Vedic University, Ujjain. Special guests included Ra.Ga. Murali Krishna, Registrar of Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, and Saraswat guest Suresh Kumar Jain. The closing session was chaired by Ramakant Pandey Ji, Director of the Bhopal campus of Central Sanskrit University.

In his address, Chief Guest C.G. Vijay Kumar Menon said that organizing a workshop on Sanskrit theater in the present time is certainly a unique initiative. Menon Ji emphasized the need to teach and practice Sanskrit drama specially in the curriculum. Special guest Ra.Ga. Murali Krishna stated that the Central Sanskrit University will always provide necessary funds and materials to promote the practice of Sanskrit dramas in India and abroad.

Saraswat guest Suresh Jain, in his speech, highlighted the continued necessity of Sanskrit drama for refinement in Indian literature. In his presidential address, Ramakant Pandey Ji, Director of the Bhopal campus of Central Sanskrit University, said that the study and research center for dramaturgy will continue its work in drama training and will carry out new experiments in Sanskrit theater. The Sanskrit play “Natya Muktivarsam” was presented under the guidance of renowned theater director Suresh Babu from Kerala. This play was created by combining the two dramas “Urubhangam” and “Venisamharam” and was presented by the workshop participants. The workshop coordinator was Dr. Prasad Bhide and the program was conducted by Dr. Ayush Dixit.