Banaras Hindu University Students Stage Vibrant Folk Theatre Festival Highlighting Bhojpuri Folklore
The amphitheatre grounds of BHU came alive with traditional music, dance, and drama as students launched the three-day 'Purvanchal Rangotsav', celebrating forgotten folk forms like *Bidesia* and *Nautanki*.
Injecting fresh energy into traditional performing arts, students of Banaras Hindu University's Faculty of Performing Arts inaugurated the 'Purvanchal Rangotsav' on Wednesday. The festival aims to revive and popularize indigenous folk theatre traditions of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, which have historically served as powerful mediums of social commentary and rural entertainment.
The inaugural day featured a spellbinding adaptation of Bhikhari Thakur's classic *Bidesia*, directed by senior theatre students under the guidance of the department faculty. The poignant portrayal of migration, separation, and socio-economic struggles resonated deeply with the packed audience comprising students, professors, and veteran theatre critics from the city.
In addition to theatrical plays, workshops on traditional percussion instruments like the *Dholak* and *Nagara* were conducted at the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith campus. Cultural heads emphasized that such grassroots initiatives are vital for shielding regional dialects and folk arts from cultural homogenization, ensuring that future generations remain rooted in the soil of Purvanchal.
