Lucknow: The 94th birth anniversary of Prof. Kamla Srivastava, fondly known as the “Awadh Kokila”, was observed with a special Lok Chaupal organized by the Lok Sanskriti Shodh Sansthan at the Press Club, Lucknow. The gathering saw the participation of writers, artists, intellectuals, and social workers who paid heartfelt tributes to the celebrated folk music exponent.
The event was presided over by noted litterateur Padma Shri Dr. Vidya Vindu Singh, who recalled Kamla Srivastava’s invaluable contribution in preserving and passing on the legacy of Awadhi folk music to the younger generation. “Kamla Didi entrusted the treasure of folk songs to the new generation. Her dedication ensured that our cultural roots remain alive,” she said.
Jyoti Kaul, President of Awadh Ladies Club, remarked that Kamla Srivastava deserves the Padma Shri award posthumously, while Pratima Bajpai, President of Lucknow Women’s Association, remembered her as a “large tree whose shade sheltered the world of literature, art, and culture.” Indira Srivastava added that Kamla Didi would always remain alive in the folk music tradition of Awadh.
The cultural segment of the evening began with a Ganesh Vandana by Vandana Shukla, followed by soulful renditions of Kamla Srivastava’s compositions. Artists including Anjali Singh, Engg. Sunil Bajpai, Neera Mishra, Snehil Srivastava, Indu Saraswat, Ratna Shukla, Sangeeta Khare, Sadhana Bharati, Asha Srivastava, Saurabh Kamal, and Manu Rai performed traditional songs ranging from sohars to bhajans and seasonal folk melodies.
Tributes were also paid to senior writers Gopal Chaturvedi and Dr. Shambhunath. Eminent personalities such as Shakuntala Srivastava, Alpana Srivastava, Surabhi Dua, Kumkum Mishra, Deveshwari Panwar, Kiran Yadav, Jyoti Kiran Ratan, Seema Agrawal, Gaurav Gupta, Vidya Bhushan Soni, Akhilesh Trivedi Shashwat, Soumya Goyal, and Dr. S.K. Gopal offered floral tributes.
A captivating dance performance on “Namo Kalratri Namo Devmata”, written by Yogesh Praveen and set to music by Kamla Srivastava, was presented by Avyukta, Ameya, and Karnika under the direction of Nivedita Bhattacharya.
The event was convened by Rajendra Vishwakarma Harihar, with the keynote introduction given by Jitesh Srivastava, President of the organizing institute. The evening concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Sudha Dwivedi, Secretary of the institution.
The commemorative Chaupal not only celebrated the life and legacy of Prof. Kamla Srivastava but also reaffirmed her stature as a cultural icon who dedicated her life to preserving the soulful traditions of Awadh folk music.
