Janjatiya Bhagidari Mahotsav 2025: “Dharti Aba – Birsa Munda” Captivates Audience Ahead of Grand Finale

Lucknow: The Janjatiya Bhagidari Mahotsav 2025 saw a spectacular conclusion, and the cultural evening  set the stage for what promised to be a grand finale. The highlight of the evening was the thought-provoking play “Dharti Aba – Birsa Munda”, alongside mesmerizing tribal performances that won widespread acclaim from visitors.

The play, staged by Rangyatra in association with the Uttar Pradesh Folk and Tribal Culture Institute, Lucknow, was conceptualized by Dr. Karuna Pandey, written by Chitra Mohan, and directed by Gyaneshwar Mishra ‘Gyani’. It vividly depicted the life of Birsa Munda, exploring his struggles for tribal identity, rebellion against British colonial rule, forced conversions, and his untimely death in prison under suspicious circumstances. Powerful performances by Sandeep Dev, Mukul Chauhan, Priyanka Bharti, Anshika Saxena, Nirupma Rahul, Jyoti Singh, Vinita Singh, Kajal Singh, Vishal Srivastava, Komal Prajapati, Ram Kumar, Anil Kumar, Madhu Prakash Srivastava, and Azhar Siddiqui brought the narrative to life. Creative contributions included lighting design by Tamal Bose, music conceptualization by Aditya Sharma, drumming and vocals by Chayan Singh Savre, costume design by Reema Saxena and Nima Gupta, and makeup by Raj Kishore Gupta.

The evening began with enchanting tribal dances and folk performances from across India. Highlights included:

• Changelia singing-dance by Bootibai’s troupe from Chitrakoot,

• Hurdunga dance by Rajkumari’s troupe from Bahraich,

• Raibense dance by Abu Saleh’s troupe from West Bengal,

• Gondi dance from Ghazipur led by Vinod Kumar Maravi,

• Folk performances from Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, and Baul singing by Anuttam Das’s troupe from West Bengal.

The festival grounds also featured an art and craft exhibition, showcasing Kantha work from West Bengal, tribal crafts from Varanasi, Baithul tribal jewelry, Hyderabad jewelry, and mats made from water hyacinth from Lakhimpur.

The grand finale of the Janjatiya Bhagidari Mahotsav 2025 took place  at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow, with Sanjeev Gond, Minister for Social Welfare and Scheduled Castes & Tribes Welfare, as the chief guest.