Lucknow– Alpika, a prominent literary and cultural organization, successfully concluded a 10-day national workshop under its heritage documentation initiative, “Dharohar Sankalan”. The workshop focused on Bhojpuri folk music traditions and was held online from July 20 to July 30, 2025, under the guidance of Guru Rakesh Srivastava, a former member of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, based in Gorakhpur.
The valedictory ceremony took place on August 5, 2025, at 5 PM at Amod Ashram (1/16, Vibhav Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow). The event featured soulful performances of Bhojpuri and Awadhi folk songs by around 30 participants from 7–8 cities across India, trained during the workshop.
Under Guru Rakesh Srivastava’s direction, the participants showcased traditional compositions such as Shiv bhajans, Sohar (birth songs), Sawani Kajri (monsoon songs), Desh Geet (patriotic songs), Mundan Geet (ceremonial songs), Chhath Geet, and Godna Geet (tattoo songs).
The event was presided over by Uma Trigunayat, President of Alpika, who shared the significance of preserving these oral traditions through such cultural initiatives. The participants included Anita, Kumud, Rupali, Aruna, Veena, Suman, Anjali, Sarita, Rita, Rinki Vishwakarma, Sushma Prakash, Anita Sinha, Sarita Agrawal, Alpana Srivastava, and Suman Verma, among others.
Musical accompaniment was provided by Satyam Shivam Sundaram on the dholak and Chandresh Pandey on the keyboard, adding rhythm and depth to the folk renditions. The program was seamlessly coordinated by Anita Srivastava, IAS (Retd.), Secretary of Amod Ashram.
The closing ceremony was graced by esteemed dignitaries including Padma Shri Dr. Vidya Bindu Singh, Padma Gidwani, former Director of All India Radio, and Rashmi Chaudhary, along with several other respected guests.
The event was hailed as a significant step toward cultural preservation and intergenerational transmission of India’s rich folk heritage.
