Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi on Wednesday said that braving the turbulent years of history caused by series of invasions, India and its people have been able to retain the pristine glory and greatness of its culture in which modern generations can take pride.
Inaugurating the Shrestha Bharat Sanskriti Samagam, an initiative of Sangeet Natak Akademi of celebrating the great cultural heritage of India by putting together diverse forms of cultural expressions drawn from different parts of the country at Srimanta Shankardev International Auditorium of Kalakshetra in Guwahati, Prof Mukhi said that India with her civilizational history of several thousands of years, has proved the worth of an enduring heritage of culture spreading over different forms and in different directions which is unparalleled in history.
Prof Mukhi also said that culture is the mirror of a society through which a community or a country finds and gives its own identity.
Thanking Sangeet Natak Akademi for having chosen Assam to organize Shrestha Bharat Sanskriti Samagam, he said that Assam and the Northeast presents a bewilderingly rich variety of traditions of art, both performing and visual nurtured by the phenomenal natural beauty of the region.
Referring to the great Vaishnava saint, Srimanta Sankaradeva, the Governor said that the great philosopher started a cultural resurgence in the history of Assam and strengthened the bond of cultural relations between Assam and other parts of the country.
Considering Assam being the melting pot of diverse cultural traditions Shrestha Bharat Sanskriti Samagam being held in Assam assumed a great significance.
It may be noted that the Samagam in Guwahati is fourth in the series, after successfully holding in Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad and Amritsar, and is not only a samagam of diverse cultural forms but also a cultural convergence and a meaningful dialogue.
Referring to Assam and other north-eastern states being the reservoir of rich cultural heritage, Governor Prof Mukhi said that national institutions like the Sangeet Natak Akademi and others should explore all possibilities in harnessing all cultural potentials of this region.
These institutions should also use modern scientific and technological devices in preserving and archiving the age old traditions in all aspects of Indian culture.
Hailing Sangeet Natak Akademi, the Governor said that the Akademi has played a key role in creating and reinforcing awareness of various aspects of the performing arts and stimulating fresh thinking among practitioners through several major expositions held over the length and breadth of the country.
