‘Red Fort Festival – Bharat Bhagya Vidhata,’ a 10-day cultural extravaganza hosted on the iconic Red Fort from March 25 – April three, 2022, was organized by the joint collaboration of Ministry of Culture and Dalmia Bharat Group as a part of the continued Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Government of India was the visitor of honor on the closing ceremony of the competition. “‘Red Fort Festival – Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’ has set a very high standard, globally, with its unique showcase of our nation’s rich culture and heritage. Indeed, it has proven to be an incredible experience for over 1,50,000 visitors,” rejoiced Goyal. Congratulating the organizers, he added, “Even more commendable are the opportunities that the festival created, post-COVID, which is testimony to how we are collaboratively moving towards a ‘New India.’ I hope that corporates such as Red Fort’s Monument Mitra, Dalmia Bharat Limited, will join us as we strengthen our focus on the welfare of our people without losing sight of our glorious legacies.”
Over the course of the 10 days, the Red Fort Festival offered a spectacular cultural fusion showcasing India’s rich history and a kaleidoscopic diversity in art, heritage, tradition, delicacies and far more. The competition featured stay performances from the likes of Eka Band, Gharana Fusion, Nizami Brothers, Dr. L Subramaniam, Papon, Yuvraj Hans, Raghu Dixit, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, Shaan, Chetna Bhardwaj, and Salman Ali, amongst others. “We have come a long way from being bestowed the honour of being Red Fort’s Monument Mitra, to conceptualising and making our pathbreaking initiative ‘Red Fort Festival – Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’ a resounding success,” asserted Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director, Dalmia Bharat Limited. Extending his gratitude to the Government of India, he added, “We are grateful to the Government of India for giving us this opportunity to share our rich cultural history and heritage on a world stage such as the Red Fort and to enable the sustenance for our communities by creating job opportunities at the fest. We will continue to serve our country in the best way possible.”
Cultural Performance at Red Fort.
Apart from the stay musical performances, different main highlights on the Red Fort Festival included a ‘Projection Mapping Show’ about India’s history on the outside partitions of the Red Fort with narration in Divya Dutta’s voice, a 360° immersive expertise ‘Yatra’ highlighting India’s preeminence because the oldest dwelling civilization, a distinctive and interactive exhibition ‘Bharat Gaurav’ taking viewers by way of the achievements of historic Indian icons and India’s vital achievements since Independence, an extravagant ‘Cultural Parade’ choreographed by Maitreyee Pahari that includes a number of Indian dance kinds, The Satrangi Art, Craft and Textile Bazaar that includes the grandeur of the nation’s vibrant arts and craftsmanship, a culinary explosion of regional cuisines at Khau Gali, Khelgaon and Khel Manch hosted by Emcee Bharat Jain, and curated tune and dance performances that pay homage to the nation’s unity in diversity.
The competition’s inauguration ceremony was graced by Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development of India. “The ‘Red Fort Festival – Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’ is the manifestation of what the honourable PM, Shri Modiji envisioned as the beginning of a new India with everyone playing a role in it. Today, I see that vision being realised through this cultural extravaganza. On behalf of proud Indian citizens, I congratulate the Red Fort Monument Mitra – Dalmia Bharat Ltd for this wonderful initiative,” mentioned Irani.
Red Fort Festival inaugration: Puneet Dalmia with Smriti Irani.
Famed Sufi singer Ghulam Waris Nizami carried out together with his younger nephews Faizan Hasan and Zeeshan Hasan Nizami as a part of the competition. Ghulam Waris Nizami has carried out all throughout the globe together with the Royal Albert Hall however performing on the Red Fort as a part of the celebrations of 75 years of Indian independence held a very particular place in his coronary heart. “I consider myself very fortunate to be born in India and I also want to breathe my last here. This is one of the most memorable moments of my life that I am able to perform live at the Red Fort as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration. I am grateful to the Ministry of Culture and Dalmia Bharat Group for giving me this wonderful opportunity,” rejoiced Waris Nizami who was fairly upbeat regardless of the absence of his brother, the veteran Sufi singer Ghulam Sabir Nizami, who had been indisposed.
The members of the Eka Band, Hitesh Rikki Madan (Vocals & Guitars) and Lokesh Madan (Vocals & Bass) had been happy to be again performing stay after the pandemic and that too on the Red Fort as a part of the Bharat Bhagya Vidhata Festival. Eka calls its music ‘Swatantra Rock’, which the group describes as “music beyond boundaries”. For their efficiency on the Red Fort, that they had ready a very particular set listing overlaying a mixture of originals, widespread Hindi / Bollywood, sufi, celebratory and patriotic songs from throughout eras and genres.
Red Fort Festival closing ceremony: Puneet Dalmia (left) with Piyush Goyal.
While sharing their expertise of performing in entrance of a packed viewers on the Red Fort, the members of Gharana Fusion, Susnata Har (Ethno Guitar and Vocal), Arnab Roy (Flute), and Argha Dey (Tabla, Percussion, Cajon & Bols), rejoiced the superb expertise of performing stay on the world well-known historic Red Fort alongside different nice artists. They thanked the Ministry of Culture and Dalmia Bharat Ltd for inviting them and additionally praised the mixture of various art types of India, crafts part, avenue meals stalls, children zone, and many others. that the competition offered. They began the present with the worship of the ‘Mother’ kind and then continued with the weather of the celebration of life and atmosphere, showcasing the completely different cultural influences of the band members from completely different lands of India, multi-rhythmic patterns. They ended the present expressing the love for Delhi, its folks and with a salute to the Red Fort.
Dalmia Bharat Limited has been chosen as a ‘Monument Mitra’ to undertake and develop vacationer facilities on the nation’s iconic 17th-century heritage website, Red Fort by the Ministry of Tourism in shut collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). “The inaugural ‘Red Fort Festival – Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’ highlighted our culture and traditions as has never been seen before. The underlying idea was to enable visitors, and especially our youth, to build connections between our nation’s current progress and our ancient glory, by understanding values that are India-centric as well as globally relevant. We are grateful to our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Modiji, and the Government of India, for giving us this opportunity to serve our nation as a Monument Mitra and we are confident that everybody that visited the event took back with them unique and unforgettable experiences that bind us as a nation and a community,” averred Dalmia.
Committed to celebrating the history of India, the Red Fort Festival – Bharat Bhagya Vidhata is deliberate as an annual occasion with underlying themes like freedom battle, nationwide integrity, cultural heritage, sustenance for communities, and concepts, resolve and achievements at 75 and past.
