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Goan capital abuzz as multi-arts Serendipity festival opens

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By Siddhi Jain
Panaji, Dec 15 (IANS) The western coast of the Goan capital is abuzz with conversations over different streams of art, as 13 locations here sprawled across Mandovi’s shoreline opened their gates for the third edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival 2018 on Saturday.

With free shuttle services and free entry into most events, the festival, which hosts over 90 projects curated by 14 noted curators, seems to be a hit among the visitors, with hundreds having visited the festival’s venues on its first day of opening.

The multidisciplinary festival aims to bring art out of gallery and museum spaces alone, and has chosen public spaces like the Kala Academy, Children’s Park and the Adil Shah Palace — places already frequented by the public for cultural events — to encourage viewership and engagement.

The eight-day affair presents a multitude of voices from the artistic and curatorial communities in genres like music, theatre, dance, photography, visual arts, culinary arts, and crafts.

Many of the exhibitions in the visual arts, photography, and crafts genres, mounted in the venues opened for the public on Saturday and will run till its closing on December 22.

What stole the show on the first day, however, was a theatrical rendition of the age-old epic Mahabharata, delivered with humour and wit. Dramatised through puppets, masks, and shadow puppetry, together with intriguing acoustic accompaniment, it saw a houseful under the open sky of the coastal city.

The labyrinthine exhibitory spaces, falling in line with the festival’s core idea, put the focus on the viewers and allow them to navigate through spaces as visitors, just as many creative traditions of the festival find a voice in the multi-cultural hub Goa is.

Often-overlooked objects, like the ‘charpai’, Indian handicraft items, and photographs as documents of the personal and political, form part of the festival and are a must-see.

Street art interventions in the form of murals and painted signboards, by arts organisation St+Art Foundation hold attention as visitors walk to different venues only minutes away from each other.

What’s also interesting is a focus on the local traditions of the state hosting the festival, with exhibitions showcasing Goan crafts and architecture, early Hindustani musical recordings by Goan musicians, and a contemporary art show on Goa’s Portuguese connection — “the most dominating chapter of Goan history”.

Apart from performances by seasoned Indian classical music and dance practitioners, a contemporary twist of electro funk, hip-hop, rap and jazz music will greet the festival audiences.

The festival recently garnered controversy regarding a curator who “stepped back” from the festival in the light of an anonymous #MeToo allegations made against him on Instagram.

The Serendipity Arts Foundation chairman and founder Sunil Kant Munjal, refused to comment on it when asked for a statement. He, however, iterated the position of the Foundation as “neutral” and “fair”.

“It wants to be fair, it wants to do the right thing, it wants to be a platform where creative individuals, organisations and institutions feel freedom and feel welcomed to come and work,” he told IANS.

The festival concludes on December 22 with a musical performance by multi-awards winning Bollywood composer Clinton Cerejo, presented by Coke Studio.

(Siddhi Jain is in Goa on invitation by organisers of the Serendipity Arts Festival. She can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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