The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that we must not neglect classical Indian art forms. He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the revival ceremony of ancient Dance Drama “Ashtapadiyattam” which is “Gita Govindam” written by 12th century poet Jayadeva, in Guruvayur, Kerala.
The Vice President said that while the country has preserved and nurtured our illustrious artistic heritage, unfortunately, certain classical Indian art forms remain in a state of neglect and slowly fading. We must not allow this unfortunate situation to persist and our cultural roots sustain us, make our lives richer and make our society more humane and civilized, he added.
The Vice President said that reviving “Ashtapadiyattam” is like unearthing the buried treasure and it is like watering a plant that is fast losing its vitality. He hoped that this dance drama is revived in all its pristine glory, as Jayadeva would have wanted it, giving full justice to the costumes, the music and the mudras as used in the original performance, he added.
Calling Gita Govindam a remarkable piece of literature, the Vice President complemented Sri Guruvayurappan Dharmakala Samuchayam Trust headed by Metro Man E. Sreedharan.
