“There is a confusion between culture and entertainment. There are several things that entertain us, but entertainment is not culture and we cannot define culture as entertainment,” said Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) here on Monday. Dr Sahasrabuddhe was speaking after inaugurating 8th Annual International Convention of Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) Auditorium.

Explaining his statement, Dr Sahasrabuddhe said, “Culture is a separate topic which can be explained with the help of music, because music is ‘Sadhana’.” Dr Sahasrabuddhe said, “There is a philosophy behind all Ragas and Gharanas of music. Similarly, every mudra of classical dance gives a message. It is not gymnastic, or mere physical exercise, there is some spiritual thought behind such mudras.” Music is not just an entertainment and this particular convention is not just an event, and the organisers are not event managers. It is high time the presenters of music and dance told our audience that music is not limited to entertainment, he added. He talked about the need for more research in Indian music. “Even foreign researchers should be encouraged to understand the divinity of Indian music.” He appreciated the efforts of SPIC MACAY in conducting events every year to promote Indian culture and music at the international level. In the beginning, the guests lighted the traditional lamp to inaugurate the week-long convention at VNIT premises. City based renowned anchor Renuka Deshkar conducted the proceedings.