Cultural Programme

Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee
Blissful Bihar
BIHAR TOURISM
Cultural Programme
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION,
GAYA

Messages
Bodh Gaya, the seat of Buddha's
enlightenment is the most sacred pilgrimage for
Buddhism as it is associated with the awakening
of the Lord Buddha after six long years of
meditation, self-deprivation and wandering.
People come here in search of inner peace, to find
solace at this immaculate place. Bodh Gaya
symbolizes truth, peace and harmony.
This land of awakening belongs to all
looking for a soulful retreat, all sections of people; this seat of knowledge
belongs to the world.
Like every year in this 2013 we again celebrate knowledge,
truth, art, peace at the Bodh Mahotsava. We celebrate Buddha- the
enlightened one.
Sunil Kumar 'Pintu'
Minister Tourism
Government of Bihar
Tourism department Bihar is priveleged to
be a part of Bodh Mahotsava, the annual tribute to
the teachings and legacy of Gautam Buddha.
BodhGaya is not only the seat of the enlightenment
of Buddha, but also the spiritual soul and
confluence of all the streams and practices of
Buddhism in the world.
Such a variegated legacy needs a vivid
multicultural presentation and that is what we have
attempted to present before all of you. The theme of
this celebration is knowledge, peace and prosperity and our endeavour
is to bring out all the facets of Buddhism in an enjoyable program.
The support of Gaya district administration and BTMC has , as
always, been exceptional and they deserve our thanks. This compilation
of the events and inking it in a brochure will indeed be a landmark, and I
hope it becomes a collector's item.
Wishing all of you a Happy and enjoyable Bodh Mahotsava and the
creators of this brochure a grand success.
Mihir Kumar Singh
Secretary,
Deptt. of Tourism, Govt. of Bihar

Message
Dear Friends,
Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya architecturally commemorates the
place where Siddhartha Gautam attained Enlightenment. Various
traditions ascribe the erection of the very first temple at this site to
Emperor Ashoka who ruled over the Magadha
rd
region in the 3 century BCE. He visited Bodh
Gaya in about 260 BCE and marked this site
with his trademark pillar which still stands
within the Temple's precincts. Ashoka not only
embraced Buddhism but is also responsible
for its spread to Sri Lanka and all over South-
East Asia. The site of Mahabodhi Temple
Complex including the Vajrasana and Bodhi
Tree, identified by the Emperor Ashoka, is a
World Heritage Site today. We dedicate Bodh
Mahotsava - 2013 to this great King of Peace
for his contribution towards the spread of
Buddhism and promoting universal botherhood and harmony
worldwide. We have befittingly chosen the topic of Seminar to be held
on the occasion of Bodh Mahotsava as Emperor Ashoka and
Buddhism and have organized many cultural performances around
this central theme.
The three day Bodh Mahotsava is aimed at promoting the
exchange of cultural activities as a global community and also to
showcase the rich traditions of our country. On the first day
international cultural troupes and ethnic groups from the Buddhist
regions of India through their performances illustrate how Buddhism
and its tenets are intrinsically interwoven into the daily lives of the
believers. The second day is devoted to the vibrant culture, glorious
history and magnificent art forms of Bihar. On the third day we bring
together the various regional martial art forms of the country and also
have performances exhibiting the cultural, artistic and linguistic
diversity of the incredible nation that is India. Apart from cultural
programmes and seminar we also have handicraft and painting
exhibitions, peace walk, documentary shows and all faith prayer meet
planned over a period of three days to celebrate the confluence of
peace, prosperity and harmony.
Bodh Mahotsava, held every year in the first week of
February, is increasingly becoming one of most awaited events of the
Buddhist calendar. We are truly humbled by the overwhelming
response to it from tourists, scholars, pilgrims and all others from India
and abroad.
Thank you all for joining us in paying this annual tribute to timeless
celebrations.
Bandana Preyashi, IAS
Collector and District Magistrate, Gaya, Bihar
-cum- Chairperson, BTMC

Day - 1
Bhutan
Composed by the 70th Chief
Abbot, Je Trulku Jigme
Choeda, the song is a form of
tribute to the Gods, the
spiritural master,the king and
the people who have preserved
peace and happiness in Bhutan,
the land of 'Thunder Dragon'.
6th February, 2013
LU CHOED CHI LHADA : Welcome song
PACHHAM - Dance of the Heroes
Pemalingpa saw Guru
Padmasambhava, a great
spiritural master, in the center
of a limitless mandala made of
lines of rainbow in one of his
visions.He saw the various
emanations of peaceful and
wrathful deities manifested in
the mandala,of which the most
important was an assembly of
the heroes(Pawos) and the
heroines(Khandoms). The dance was performed to lead the
deceased into the presence of Guru Padmasambhava
MERAK SAKTEN PI ZHABDRO
Songs & Dances from the high landers of the Eastern Bhutan
This is a folk song and dance from the two villages of Merak and
Sakten, where lives a small group of sem-nomadic people with
their distinctive
dress and
language. The
song is an
expression of the
union of inner
and outer,the
physical and the
spiritural, both considerd very important for the attainment of
enlightenment.
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Day - 1
TASHI LAYBEY
Concluding Song and Dance
Tashi Labey is a song and dance that wraps up social and cermonial
gatherings in Bhutan. Usually, everybody present at the gathering
participates in this dance.The song solicits divine blessings of long
life, prosperty and happiness for all those present-host, guests and
spectators, and ends with wishes to meet in similar occasions in
future. Performance by : Royal Academy of Performing Arts, Royal
Government of Bhutan
Japan
Masako Ono
Masako Ono trained in
western classical ballet at the
Matsuyama Ballet in Tokyo,
and studied jazz dance and hip
hop at the K-Broadway Dance
Center, Tokyo. In 1996, Ono
joined Nrityagram and
received training in Odishi.
She also attended classes in
Yoga, Kalaripayattu and
Mayurbhanj Chhau dance.
After five years of training in Odissi and yoga, she left Nrityagram
to become a solo performer. Since 2001, Ono has been based at
Bhubaneswar as a professional Odissi dancer and yoga teacher,
collaborating with dancers, musicians and artists from India and
abroad. She has performed and given lecture-demonstrations and
workshop in India, Japan, USA, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Australia,
France, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesiaand Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka
Gini Sisila & Naga Gurulu Dance :
This is a traditional
dance from Sri
Lankan Low country
area. The dance is
dedicated to Ginisila,
the God of
Soonaiyam Yaga. The
dance depicts the
performance of 18
Sanni dance joined by
Naga Gusulu dance.
This dance is mainly
performed by males.
2

Day - 1
Wes Dance :
Sri Lankans perform three main
traditional dances. The First one
is up country dance, second one is
low country dance and third one
is sabaragamuwa. This is an up
country dance depicting prayer to
God to get freedom from
suffering of illness and is called
Shanti Karma. Dancers are
adorned with beautiful cloths and traditional jewellerys.
Gopi dance :
This is a folk dance performed on the
paddy fields and it depicts happy
village life of Sri Lanka in simple
cloths & jewellery showing how they
spread agriculture growth in villages.
Performance by : Jayapathi Rangayatana
Dancing group, Sri Lanka
Leh
JABRO DANCE :
In eastern Ladakh bordering Tibet,
Changpa nomads have their Jabro
dance and music characterized by
rhythmic thumping of feet on a
melodious song and music of Daman.
The nomads live in tents at high
altitude pastures in vast stretches of
Changthang wilderness with their
livestock including Yaks, Sheep and
goats. The relatively fast movement in their dance helps them warm
up during celebrations.
CHARTSES DANCE :
In Ladakh numerous migratory
birds are found. The arrival of
migratory birds in highlands of
Ladakh is considered
auspicious. The dance of
Chartses (birds dance) signifies
the arrival of migratory birds
and is performed as an
appreciation for these birds.
This dance form performed by
females, is choreographed with movements like birds.
Performance by : Kunfan Art & Culture Society, Leh
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Sikkim
Tamang Sello
This dance is integral to Nepali community
called Tamangs. The dancers create a
magical aura when they match their steps to
the sound of the musical instrument called
Damphoo. An ensemble of fun, vigour and
brisk movements to the beats of Damphoo is
peculiar to this dance form. Marriage
ceremonies, fairs and child births are the
ceremonies when this dance is performed.
Day - 1
Maruni
Maruni is one of the most
graceful dance forms in the rich
and resplendent repertoire of
Nepalese performing arts. The
dance is accompanied by a
wide variety of songs, sung on
the beats of Madal, that portray
diverse colours of life.
Ghantu
The Ghantu dance is a
Sikkimese folk dance
patronized by the Gurung
community of the state. The
ancient folk dance form
depicts the colorful lifestyle
of the people of the land. The
dance, which is full of fun and
vigour is performed by young
girls wearing traditional
costumes and headgear.
Performance by : Naren Gurung & group
Dharamshala
Dramnyen Shapdro: the dance of the Lute player
Dranyen which in Tibetan means Melody, is a fretless lute
instrument. The instrument features prominently in songs and
dances from Western, Central and North eastern Tibet. Depending
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on the pitch of the sound, the
instrument comes in different
sizes. In this folk dance, the
musicians display a variety of
traditional quick stepping dance
which are very popular within
central Tibet.
Seng-geh Gar-cham: the Snow Lion Dance
In Tibet the snow lion symbolizes
the fearless and elegant quality of
the enlightened mind. When a
healthy and harmonious
environment is established by the
creative activities of human beings,
such as through the performance of
sacred purification and healing
music, all living beings, here
represented by the snow lion,
rejoice. The Snow lion dance of Tibet is a very symbolic dance art
form. According to Buddhist beliefs, snow lions are considered as a
good omen. The snow lion does not exist in real life, but a myth
which symbolizes fearlessness and happiness.
Performance by : Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
7th February, 2013
Thumari & Tappa : Pandit Govardhan Mishra
Gaya has been a centre of excellence
in classical music, particularly of
Tappa and Thumri variety. Pandit
Govardhan Mishra of Gaya is
perhaps the most versatile living
exponent of Tappa singing in the
country today. He has performed at
many prestigious festivals in the
country for many decades. He has
recorded a large number of traditional
“bandish” of Tappa, Thumri and dadra and his musical
compositions have been regularly broadcast by the AIR. He has
been honoured with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award.
4

Day - 2
Dadra, Holi and Chaiti : Rajendra Sijuar
Born in a musical family, Rajender Sijuar of
Gaya got his training in vocal music from late
Pandit Jayram Tiwari and renowned vocalist of
Bihar Pandit Kameshwar Pathak. A proponent of
Gaya Gharana, he sings the Khhayal variety as
well as the light classical styles of Thumri,
Dadra, Kajri, hori Chaiti, Baramasa, Shawani,
Jhoola and Bhajan. He has also improvised upon
Raga Tala and tonal quality of voice
Tayarai/Layakari and is a torch bearer of Gaya Gharana 'Purabang'.
Jhijhia: Nitu Kumari 'Nootan'
One of the most eminent traditional folk dances of Bihar, Jhijhia
depicts a group of young women adoring and offering prayers in
the form of song and dance to please the king of Gods, Lord Indra,
for rains and for better yield. The
dancers sing and dance to please
the Lord of Rain, with their deep
devotion. On their heads the
performing women carry lanterns
(pots made of clay) with several
holes and diyas (candles lit with
mustard oil) inside, thus allowing
light to come out through the holes.
Women purposely dance slowly
with lanterns on their heads so that the holes can be counted. It is
usually performed during the great festival Vijaya Dashmi. Nitu
Kumari 'Nootan' and her troupe shall be performing this folk dance.
Uttar Priyadarshi : A play by Sanjay Upadhayay
Uttar-Priyadarshi (The Final
Beatitude) focuses on the spiritual
journey of King Ashoka, the
second-century B.C. emperorwarrior
who ultimately renounces
violence, adopts the eightfold path
of the Buddha and becomes known
as the Priyadarshi, or “one who
looks with compassion". It is a
dramatic spectacle, incorporating
song and speech, dance and gesture, bold color and light in a highly
stylized and ritualistic fashion.
Sanjay Upadhaya, the director of the play, is an NSD graduate and
also the director of Nirman Kala Manch and Safarmaina based in
Bihar. He is a leading theatre artist of the state with deep grounding
6

Peacock and Flower Holi Dance : Gitanjali Sharma
Day - 2
in folk music and traditional theatres. Music is the soul of the
majority of his productions. As stage director his other acclaimed
works include “Bedesia”, “Parti Parikatha”, “Kahan Gaya Mere
Ugna” and “Harsingar”.
The Mayur or peacock dance is
created from an episode in the love
lore of Radha and Krishna. Radha,
pining for Krishna after a brief
separation, decides to console herself
by the sight of peacocks. Krishna,
knowing her mind from afar,
playfully causes the peacocks to
disappear, leaving Radha distraught.
He eventually yields to Radha's
entreaties and himself appears in
the guise of a peacock to dance
with his beloved.
Holi is celebrated in different
ways and flower holi is a joyful
celebration of holi in the Braj
region. The festivities include
colour processions with music,
song and dance amongst the
gopas and gopis. Both dances
belong to the Braj region of Uttar
Pradesh with its core at Mathura
and Vrindavan, places associated with Lord Krishna.
Gitanjali Sharma is a renowned dancer who stays at Braj and has
national and international shows to her credit.
Gatka & Giddha : Punjab
8th February, 2013
Gatka is a weapon-based martial art
associated with the Punjab region.
The word gatka properly refers to
the wooden sticks which were used
for sparring. While it is primarily an
armed fighting style, gatka also
incorporates pehlwani as part of its
empty-handed training component.
Gatka is practiced either as a sport or
a ritual. Performance by : Satpal Bagi & group
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Giddha is a popular folk dance
of women in Punjab region. It is
a very colourful dance form
which is performed by women
at festive or social occasions.
Women dance in a circles
wearing bright coloured clothes
complemented by heavy
jewellery. Performance by : Ajit
Singh & group
Day - 3
Bardai Shikhla & Bhortal Dance : Assam
Bardai Shikhla is a dance of
Bodos in Assam. The dance
symbolizes the furious wind with
rain that flows on the earth before
the new year. The wind wishes to
destroy the old to prepare the
earth for new days of production.
Young girls, symbols of Nature, do a speedy dance accompanied by
flute and drums.
BHORTAL is a big cymbal made of brass
used while singing prayers. It is a dance in
praise of God. Six to ten dancers equipped
with cymbals perform this dance and
produce a good number of attractive
formations displaying the cymbals. The
dance can be seen during festive occasions
in and around Barpeta and Guwahati.
Performance by : Alayaron Harimu Afad of
Alha and Udal : Jaunpur, UP
Alha and Udal were great fighters of Bundelkhand. According to
folklore, Alha was invincible, made immortal by the goddess
Sharda. Alha gifted his head to Sharda
after cutting it off with a sword. The
goddess, extremely pleased by the act,
made him immortal. Udal was younger
brother of Alha. Udal was generally
seen on a horse whereas Alha, on an
elephant. Both are among the greatest
Rajput warriors of all times and their
story narrated by Fauzdar Singh
emphasis the honour and valour of
kshatriya warriors. Performance by :
Fauzdar Singh & group
8

Dhedhia and Jhumar : Allahabad, U.P.
Day - 3
Dhedhia is a folk dance of
Prayag region in Uttar Pradesh.
It is believed that when God
Rama along with his wife Sita
and brother Lakshaman
reached the land between the
rivers Ganges and Yamuna,
people thought that Shani was
also accompanying them invisibly. So the people performed some
rituals to avoid Shani's effect. In due course the tradition developed
into Dhedhia folk dance, where females use earthen utensils with
lamp inside for well wishing their male relatives.
Jhumar is a traditional folk song
of U.P. and Bihar. This is sung
specially in spring and in rainy
season and is named as Fagvi and
Savani Jhumar respectively. This
folk song is sung in 'Dadra' and
'kaherva' Tal. Due to more
emphasis on 'Shringar Ras' in
jhumar, people often use this for
their dancing ceremonies.
Performance by : Anand Kishore & group.
Chhau : Jharkhand
Chhau dance of Seraikella, in
Jharkhand once a princely
State, is one of the main ancient
and classical schools of Indian
Dances along with the
Kathakali, Bharatnatyam,
Manipuri and others. The
Chhau dance of Seraikella is a
Mask Dance. It has now made it
to the UNESCO list of world
intangible cultural heritage
during the fifth session of UNESCO in 2010.
Performance by : Sri Kala Peeth, Seraikella
Lamp Dance : Goa
The lamp dance is so called because of the brass lamps that are used
to perform this dance. The dancers have to dance very slowly
balancing heavy brass lamps on their heads. The music is usually
9

instrumental and folk
instruments like ghumat,
samael, cymbals and
harmonium are used. This
dance requires immense selfcontrol
and discipline in order
to balance the lamps and dance.
Performance by : Shantadurga
Cultural Association,
Kumbharjua, Goa
Pai Danda : Mahoba, U.P.
Day - 3
Pai Danda is a famous folk
dance of Uttar Pradesh. It is
themed around the childhood
pranks and frolics of Lord
Krishna. It depicts the mock
fights that the lord had with the
cowherd boys, with whom he
spent his early years. The
dancers in Pai Danda hold
sticks measuring one and half
feet long. They engage in mock
battles in pairs, periodically changing positions and angles. The
dance starts along the song. Gradually the dancers pickup the pace,
with the steps gathering momentum. The overall performance is
given accompaniment by the beats of folk drums like the Dholak
and Nagara. Performance by : Ramchandra Yadav and group.
Lezim : Nagpur, Maharashtra
Lezim is a folk dance form
from of Maharashtra and can
trace its origins from the time of
Peshwas. Dancers carry a small
musical instrument with
jingling cymbals called the
Lezim, after which the dance
form is named. The dance is
frequently used as a fitness drill
by schools, militias and other
institutions because it involves
many calisthenic moves and can be quite strenuous. Lezim
traditionally was done to create an atmosphere of courage and
valour before the battle.
Performance by : Maharashtra Lezim Association.
10

Day - 3
Thang-ta & Basant Raas : Manipur
Thang-ta or huyen lallong is a
weapon-based Indian martial art
created by the Meitei of Manipur.
In the Manipuri language, thang
means sword and ta means spear.
As its name implies, the sword and
spear are the primary weapons in
thang-ta. The spear can be used in
its non-missile form while in close
or thrown from afar. Other
weapons used include the shield and axe.It was used with great
success by the Manipuri kings to fight against the European
colonists and was subsequently banned during the British
occupation. Today thang-ta is the most popular of Meitei martial
arts, practiced by both men and women.
Basant Ras is a rasleela or night
long ritual dance drama from
Manipur. In the full moon of
spring Lord Krishna comes to the
appointed grove, the gopis led by
Radha responds to the call of his.
They dance together and play holi
by smearing abir on each other.
Performance by : The Huyen Lallong
Thang-ta Cultural Association Manipur
Salim Arif: Director-Choreographer
Salim Arif, the Director-Choreographer of the Bodh Mahotsava-
2013, is an alumnus of National School of Drama, New Delhi. A
well known name of Indian theatre
and films, he is currently working as
the Head of Department of Actors'
Studio in Whistling Woods
International, Mumbai. He has made
his mark as Director-Choreographer
of important national events with
Drums of India and Wind
Instruments of India, shows for
Republic Day Parade, Shyam
Benegal's Bharat Ek Khoj, Gulzar's
Mirza Ghalib among others. Dr.Chandraprakash Dwedi's
Chanakya got him International recognition as a Period Film
Designer of substance. His plays, Aap Ki Sonia, Kharaashein and
Ghalibnaama have made him one of the most exciting and popular
director on Hindi theatre scene in India.
11

Seminar
Emperor Ashoka and Buddhism
Ashoka of Maurya Dynasty (269 -232 BCE) is a well-known as
the King of Peace. He lived for about seventy years, and ruled for nearly
forty years over most of the present day India. His reign was
headquartered in Magadha, the present day Bihar. After a terrible war
against the Kalingas (modern-day Orissa) where over one hundred
thousand people were killed and even more were wounded or taken
captive and deported, Ashoka showed deep remorse and decided to fully
embrace Buddhism and to forswear forever the wars of aggression. In its
place he established his vision of 'conquering of righteousness', the
victory of 'Dharma'. Dharma as Buddha's Dhamma: the system of the
universal laws of life by humaneness and righteousness, the basis of any
religion. Various traditions ascribe the erection of the very first temple of
Mahabodhi at Bodhgaya to Ashoka. It is mentioned in the Rock Edict VIII
Ashoka or Devanmpiyadarshin visited Bodhgaya in the tenth year of his
coronation. Without Ashoka Buddhism would not have become what it is
now. It was his son Mahindra and daughter Sanghamitra, who brought
Buddhism to Sri Lanka, from where it could spread all over South East
Asia.
Venue : Meditation Park Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya
on 7th Feb. 2013 (9 am to 4 pm)
Speakers:
1. Dr. Rajendra Ram, Vice-President, International Meditation Centre,
Buddhagaya
2. Dr. Sukomal Chaudhary, Former Principal, Govt. Sanskrit College,
Calcutta
3. Ven. Dr. Varasambodhi Thera, General Secretary, International
Meditation Centre, Bodhgaya
4. Dr. Sumanapal Bhikkhu, Assistant Professor, Deptt. of Tibetan
Language, University of Calcutta
5. Dr. Daisy Narayan (Banerjee), Professor of History, Patna University
6. Dr. Saswati Mutsuddy, Reader, Deptt. of Pali, University of Calcutta.
7. Dr. (Smt.) Mahashweta Maharathi, Member, B.T.M.C., Bodhgaya
8. Dr. Kamal Prasad Baudh, Principal, Teachers' Training College, Bihar Sharif
9. Prof. Sailesh Singh, Associate Professor, A.N. College, Patna
10. Dr. Kusum Kumari, Director, Deptt. of Women Studies, Magadh Univesity
11. Dr. Sushil Kumar Singh, Head of the Deptt. of Buddhist Studies, M.U.
12. Dr. K.K. Narayan, Deptt. of English, Gaya College, Gaya
Peace Walk and Inter Faith Prayer Meet
8th Feb. 2013
Peace Walk from 80ft Buddha Statue of Daijokyo Temple to
Mahabodhi Mahavihara Temple at 8-9am
Inter Faith Prayer Meet dedicated to Universal Peace and Harmony
under Holy Bodhi Tree at Mahabodhi (Mahavihara) Temple : 9 -10am.
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Stage for Bodh Mahotsava 2013 at Kalachakra Ground, Bodhgaya, designed by : Kailasha Jiwani
Department of Tourism, Tel. 0612-2217163, website : www.tourismbihar.in
District Administration, Gaya, Tel. 0631-2222900 / 2222800 website : gaya.bih.nic.in
Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee, Tel. 0631-2200735, www.mahabodhi.com