Haryanvi folklore maestros regaled the scant audience on the opening day of the three-day Haryanvi Ragini Festival at Tagore theatre here today.

The folklore bonanza brought to the city by the North Zone Cultural Centre and Information and Public Relation Department, Haryana, is aimed at projecting a slice of Haryanvi folk culture to the city art lovers, disclosed IAS K.K. Khandelwal.

As many as 10 top folklore troupes will perform during the fest, he added. Master Satbir Singh supported by accompanying artists rendered three ragini compositions of Pandit Lakhmi Chand, hailed as the Shakespeare of Haryana. The raginis weaved in devotional pastoral fervour were well received by relatively low listeners.

The humour remains the essential ingredient of Haryanvis and acclaimed ragini singer, Pale Ram, spelt rustic humour and folk melody with romantic fervour like “Jahaaz mein baith gori”or “Mujhko kyon badnam kiya”. Master Suresh Kumar too impressed with his virile voice concluding with “Sajan ke ghar jaya sai gori”.

Haryanavi poet and anchor, Raj Kumar Dhankad, compeered the programme. The chief guest IAS Fateh Singh Dagar honoured the artists.

The Chandigarh Administration has chalked out an ambitious plan to convert the recently-opened Tagore Theatre into a centre of excellence for art and culture.

According to official sources, the objective will not only be to provide technical and infrastructural facilities at par with the international standards, but also to simultaneously transform its identity from a mere city-level theatre facility to a national-level cultural centre for arts.

The aim will be to develop it in a way so it emerges as a venue for other new trends in the arena of theatre and associated fields like experimental theatre, children’s theatre, a theatre repertory etc.

With this objective of creating a cultural renaissance and promotion of all forms as a unified whole, the theatre would be developed as the hub of all such artistic, intellectual, creative happenings.

Besides the enhancements of the engineering and technological facilities in the theatre, addition of other facilities like an exhibition gallery, small seminar facilities, library of the arts (with focus on performing arts), place for conducting art, theatre and literary workshops, and cafeteria designed with imaginative elements would develop the venue into a holistic centre of arts, revolving around the fulcrum of performing arts.

Within the theatre complex, a small open-air theatre around the landscaped pedestrian piazza can be added for low cost performances to amateurs, children, neighborhood level groups or anyone else desiring using them.

In other words, with enhanced facilities and cultural transformation, the artists would perform in the most conducive and supportive atmosphere. Also it would become an artiste and art-lovers’ hangout and a venue for exchange of intellectual ideas and discourses.