City Anchor: Bhavai workshop for college students held in Mumbai

'Covering the head, tying anklets on our feet, we roamed around in the layer of ghagri peri, there was no one to watch...' These lines of poet Kagbapu are proving true for the artists of Bhavai in the present time, on the other hand, for two days in Mumbai, students from all over the city got acquainted with the ancient Bhavai form of the forgotten folk theatre tradition of Gujarat and added a lifeline to take this art forward. This is perhaps the first time in the history of the last few years that a workshop for Bhavai has been organized in a college in Mumbai and that too by the Akademi! The Department of Cultural Affairs, Maharashtra State Gujarati Sahitya Akademi, in collaboration with the Gujarati Department of the College of Arts and Commerce, Mumbai, organized the Bhavai Workshop at Kalidas Auditorium of the said college. The inaugural session of the workshop was attended by Dr. Urmi Thakkar, Campus Head & Dean, Somaiya University, Dr. K.J. Somaiya Arts & Commerce, Gujarati Department Principal. Dr. Kishan Pawar, Head, Department of Gujarati, Dr. Hitesh Pandya, Head, Department of Folk Art, University of Mumbai. Dr. Ganesh Chandanshiv, President, Lokayan Sanstha, Dr. Monika Thakkar, Director, Department of Theatre Arts, Mumbai University, Dr. Rashmi Dev, Head, Department of Gujarati, SNDT University, Dr. Dr. Darshana Ojha, Dr. Sushmita Dakshini, Sanghvi College, Dr. Naveen Punjabi, Principal, Hinduja College, and Motibhai Nayak, the principal artist and elder of Bhavai Mandali, were present. Dr. Kishan Pawar, Principal of the college, delivered the presidential address and spoke about the promotion of folk arts from the role of Bhavai. The vote of thanks was given by Dr. Hitesh Pandya, Head of the Gujarati Department of the College. The entire session was conducted by Dr. Preeti Dave, President, Gujarati Department, Kanishtha College. After the formal program, the Bhavai troupe of Motibhai Nayak and his fellow artists from Sardoi worshipped Mataji, Ganesha, Radha Krishna and other deities, installed Ganesha, performed the Avanam and explained its importance. In the second session, four research papers were read. In which the President of Lokayan Sanstha, Dr. Monika Thakkar started with the history of Bhavai and the story of its origin. So, SNDT. Dr. Kavit Pandya, Professor, Department of Gujarati, Churchgate University, presented Bhavai and Dr. Hitesh Pandya, Professor, K.J. Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce spoke about the importance of singing and playing in Bhavai. Preeti Dave spoke about humor and satire in Bhavai through her research paper. Role in making the program a success Dr. Monika Thakkar, Yogeshwar Jalolge as coordinators as coordinators as well as all the professors of Somaiya College, Dr. Hitesh Pandya, Dr. Preeti Dave, Sagar Chotalia, students of Somaiya College and members of the Academy, Sachin Nimbalkar, Bhushanji and Rohini Madam were very supportive of the event. The faculty and non-teaching staff of the college and Ashu Sound, Pradeep Kulkarni also participated in the event.