Prof Lovely’s ‘lovely’ sitar recital elevates Chakradhar Samaroh

 

 

 

THE internationally acclaimed Chakradhar Samaroh 2025 witnessed a spellbinding performance on Sunday evening as Professor (Dr) Lovely Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh as well as a distinguished sitar exponent, captivated the audience with her soulful recital. Professor Sharma presented Raga Saraswati, filling the ambience with the serene and resonant strains of classical music. Her artistry kept the audience immersed in melody and the applause continued to echo till the very end. The recital was further enhanced by the accomplished tabla accompaniment of renowned percussionist Durjay Bhowmick, whose rhythmic precision lent depth to the presentation. A lifelong journey in music has shaped Professor Sharma’s artistic identity. She began her sitar training at the age of 15 under the tutelage of Veena Chandra and later honed her skills under eminent Kolkata-based maestro Kalyan Lahiri. She completed her post-graduation in music from Agra University, securing a Gold Medal, and went on to earn her PhD from Baroda University in 1986.

 

Over the years, her contributions to Indian classical music have been recognised with several honours, including the prestigious Kala Bhushan. The evening also came alive with vibrant folk dance performances by students of Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya. These were organised under the patronage of Vice-Chancellor Professor (Dr) Lovely Sharma, the guidance of Professor (Dr) Rajan Yadav, Dean of the Faculty of Folk Music and Arts, and the direction of Dr Deepshikha Patel, Assistant Professor, Department of Folk Music. The programme opened with Ganesh Vandana, followed by a sequence of traditional presentations that reflected the richness of the region’s cultural heritage. Students performed Kalsa Nritya, Chatkola Nritya, Karma Nritya, Thiski Nritya and Saila Reena Nritya, each greeted with resounding applause from the audience.

 

On the dance side, the performers included Tekram, Dimple Pulastya, Sarvjeet Bambeshwar, Vandana, Siddharth Diwakar, Khushi Verma, Derhu, Namrata Gawar, Khagesh Paikara, Harshalata Sahu, Dhirendra Nishad and Khuleshwari Patel. Vocal support came from Dr Parmanand Pandey on the harmonium, along with Harsh Chandrakar, Manish, Soumya Soni and Sakshi Gadhpayle. Instrumental accompaniment was provided by Ramchandra Sarve on Tabla-Mandar, Dr Rajkumar Patel on Timki, Parmanand Janghel on Mandar, Khilesh on Flute, Karan Taram on Banjo, Rajesh Nishad on Manjira and Suraj Kumar as supporting artist.