New Delhi: When an artiste pours her heart and soul into a festival, it reflects—not merely on stage, but in every little detail behind the curtain. That was quite evident at the 21st edition of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha 2026 – Vande Mataram: Bharat Ki Virasat, Bharat Ka Gaurav’, the prestigious festival launched in 2005 by Padma Shri Guru Smt Ranjana Gauhar’s Utsav – Educational & Cultural Society.
Despite the inevitable pressures of a festival, her personal involvement in finalising the décor and selection of artistes to the design of the invitation card has helped the festival carve out a distinct place on India’s cultural calendar.
Her personal touch was equally visible in the way she received artistes and guests, oversaw their stay and went out of her way to ensure that everyone was comfortable. Her attention to detail clearly struck a chord with those present.
As dusk settled over the nation’s capital city, the packed Stein Auditorium was steeped in an atmosphere of devotion and eager anticipation. Staying true to its reputation for punctuality, the proceedings began dot at 7.00 PM, with emcee Smt Sadhna Shrivastav appearing on the stage and taking the audience through the journey and vision of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’.
She also highlighted Utsav and Guru Ranjana Gauhar’s continuing efforts to celebrate, preserve and promote India’s classical arts.
The inaugural evening witnessed the presence of dignitaries including eminent Kathak exponent Padma Shri & SNA Awardee Smt. Shovana Narayan, distinguished Odissi exponent Padma Shri & SNA Awardee Smt. Geeta Mahalik, Ambassador Shashi Tripathi, former Chief Secretary, Government of the National Capital Territory, S. Raghunathan, noted writer, columnist and former Vice-Chancellor Smt. Sudhamahi Ragunathan and Santosh Nair who lit the ceremonial lamp. Guru Ranjana Gauhar was also present on the dais.
Guru Ranjana Gauhar felicitated the guests and honoured several distinguished personalities for their contribution to the arts, including senior art critic and author Smt. Leela Venkataraman, art commissioner Smt. Manisha Gawade, Odissi exponent Smt. Kavita Dwivedi and Kathak exponent Smt. Kavita Thakur.
The guests lauded Guru Ranjana Guahar’s sustained efforts to preserve and promote the art form. They also wished the festival many more milestones—including its silver, golden, platinum and diamond jubilees.
The spotlight then shifted to the presentation of the Utsav Samman 2026, instituted to honour outstanding contributions to Indian culture and the performing arts.
This year’s recipients were eminent Manipuri exponent Padma Shri and SNA Fellow Smt. Darshana Jhaveri, renowned lawyer, actress and Kuchipudi exponent Smt. Rashmi Vaidialingam, eminent Odissi Guru and exponent SNA Awardee Ratikant Mohapatra.
The pièce de résistance of the inaugural evening was the presentation of Odissi dance drama ‘Chitrangada – The Warrior Princess’. Drawn from the Mahabharata and inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitra and Chitrangada, the production explored the idea of the complete woman—one who embodies love, courage, dignity, independence and freedom of expression.
Conceived, scripted, directed and choreographed by Guru Ranjana Gauhar, the 55-minute-long production followed the journey of Chitrangada, the Manipuri princess, whose love for Prince Arjuna becomes the catalyst for a profound voyage of self-discovery. In the end, she realises that her real strength and potential lie not in external beauty but in her dignity, identity and responsibility towards society.
The flow of the story telling was excellent, coaxing the art lovers to get involved what unfolding before them. The dancers’ impeccable abhinaya, crisp synchronisation, seamless entries and exits, graceful choreography and compelling portrayal of womanhood combined to create a powerful theatrical experience.
The performance touched a deep chord with the audience and ended to a thunderous standing ovation.
The artistes were Vrinda Chadha (Chitrangada 1), Ankita Bakshi (Chitrangada 2), Vinod Kevin Bachan (Arjuna), Archisha Arya (Madana), Anika Tandon, Nainika Prakash, Gayatri Bhargav, Kavya Mohan and Thaza Bhattacharya.
For the production, Saroj Mohanty composed the music, while Smt. Avery Chaurey, Smt. Sangeeta Bahadur and Punendu lent their voices and Sandeep Dutta served as the technical director. The artistes were subsequently felicitated by Smt. Darshana Jhaveri, bringing the curtain down on a memorable inaugural evening.
The second evening was equally spellbinding.
The evening commenced with the National Anthem, bringing the audience in a shared moment of pride and remembrance, followed by the auspicious lamp lighting ceremony graced by eminent Odissi exponent Padma Shri and SNA awardee Smt. Madhavi Mudgal, renowned Bharatanatyam exponent Padma Shri and SNA awardee Smt. Geeta Chandran, eminent flute exponent SNA awardee Chetan Joshi and SNA awardee Smt. Manjari Sinha. Guru Ranjana Gauhar was also present on the dais.
The evening got off to a fine start with Guru Ranjana Gauhar’s disciples presenting ‘Vande Mataram’ in Odissi.
Choreographed by Guru Ranjana Gauhar, set to the celebrated music of A. R. Rahman, with musical inputs by Saroj Mohanty, the presentation combined with the sculptural grace and lyrical vocabulary of Odissi, and with a powerful sense of patriotism, transforming the national song into an evocative dance offering.
The result was a stirring dance offering that captured the spirit of the festival—a celebration of the motherland through India’s living artistic traditions. The chiseled artistes with their neat presentation set the tone for the evening and left the audience eager for what lay ahead.
Following the performance, Guru Ranjana Gauhar welcomed and felicitated Minister of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, Jual Oram and Padma Vibhushan and former Member of the Rajya Sabha Dr. Sonal Mansingh.
The evening then moved into a graceful Odissi recital by the disciples of SNA awardee Guru Ratikant Mohapatra. Rajshri Praharaj and Preetisha Mohapatra commenced the presentation with Vishnu Vandana ‘Shantakaram’. Choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra and set to Raga Gurjari Todi and Tala Tripata, the piece offerd obeisance to Lord Vishnu—the serene, all-pervading sustainer of the universe, beloved consort of Goddess Lakshmi and the destroyer of fear.
They followed it up with ‘Ardhanariswara’, based on the celebrated lyrics of Adi Shankaracharya. Originally choreographed by the late Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, the presentation received its artistic direction from Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, with music by Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi.
The production explored the philosophical duality of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati—the masculine and feminine, destruction and creation, asceticism and beauty—all coexisting in perfect harmony. From the very beginning, the dancer duo had the connoisseurs in their thrall. Their graceful body movements, nuanced expressions and unmatched chemistry created the iconography of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati come alive between them.
And, the performance was rewarded with a well-deserved standing ovation.
The evening then moved seamlessly from the devotional to the emotional with ‘Navarasa – Expressions of Life’, conceived and choreographed by Bharatanatyam exponent Padma Shri and SNA awardee Dr. Ananda Shankar Jayant with music composed by Prema Ramamurthy.
The piece presented by Dr. Ananda Shankar Jayant, Aditi Rao, Archita Bhat, Neha Sathanapalli, Srividya Sripathi and Avani Chetluri explored the nine emotions mentioned in the Natya Shastra- ‘Shringara’, ‘Hasya’, ‘Karuna’, ‘Raudra’, ‘Veera’, ‘Bhayanaka’, ‘Bibhatsa’, ‘Adbhuta’ and ‘Shanta’.
Through graceful movements, expressions, abhinaya and finely calibrated performances, the artistes brought the emotional spectrum vividly to life and received standing ovation from the art lovers.
The curtains came down on a memorable evening on a joyous note with ‘Aanand Utsav’, presented by the disciples of Kathak exponent SNA awardee Guru Rajendra Gangani.
The well-rehearsed and coloufully costumed artistes- Anjana Singh, Ipsa Narula, Priyanka Kapil and Aditi Bharadwaj-narrated the contagious happiness of festivals and the way music multiplies that joy while dance takes it its fullest expression.
Through movement, rhythm and bhava, ‘Aanand Utsav’ celebrated the moment when music becomes the heartbeat and dance becomes the soul’s celebration. The dancers’ electrifying footwork, balanced spins and striking poses across various time-cycle and speeds made the presentation a visual treat for both trained and untrained eyes.
The artistes were ably supported by a talented ensemble of musicians: Janab Samiullah Khan on Vocal and Harmonium, Yogesh Gangani on Tabla, Janab Nasir Khan on Sarangi, Atul Shankar on Flute, Neelakshi Khandekar Saxena on Padhant and Anshika Pandey on vocal support.
The vibrant Kathak finale brought the two-day festival to a fittingly exuberant close and received yet another standing ovation.
Smt Sadhna Shrivastav, who emceed both evenings, added her own special touch to the festival with her characteristic flair and flawless introductions before each presentation.
As the audience left the auditorium, they carried with them vivid memories of two splendid evenings. They had witnessed a celebration in which tradition met imagination, devotion met artistic discipline and India’s rich cultural inheritance found fresh expression on the contemporary stage.
If the overwhelming response was anything to go by, many were already looking forward to returning when ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ raises its curtain again next year.
