The cultural traits of Assam’s Rabha and Arunachal Pradesh’s Nyishi communities added flavour to a stage tableau organised in London to celebrate the Republic Day.
Music, dance and costumes of the Rabhas and Nyishis were among the lesser-seen indigenous art forms covering the northeast and other parts of India.
The event was organised by the Sanskruti Centre in association with the Nehru Centre in London, the High Commission of India and the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan based in the city’s West Kensington.
“The objective was to demonstrate the vibrant diversity and heritage of India before more than 350 people who included members of British Parliament Bob Blackman and former Minister for Climate Change, Baroness Sandip Verma,” India-born Bharatanatyam danseuse Ragasudha Vinjamuri said.
“It took several months of arrangements to be able to organise such a rich-content event spanning 2.5 hours. We engaged with local communities in India to keenly understand the cultural facets so that we could highlight them wider,” she said.
The other dances featured included the Shondol dance of the Ladakhis and the Gabar dance of the Bastar region in Chhattisgarh.
