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UNITED NEWS OF INDIA
NEW DELHI, AUG 9: While millenium events are being planned the world over, in India, the Khajuraho Millenium is preparing for a double celebration: bringing in the year 2000 and heralding its temples -- built between 900 and 1100 AD -- which are a 1000 years old.
The celebrations commenced with the Khajuraho Dance Festival in March, this year and included an international sculptors meet, educational workshops, film, theatre and music festivals and seminars on art and environment.
Kanti Poddar of Orient Poddar the coordinator of the celebrations said a sound and light programme would begin from September 27 and that a tribal arts museum had already been set up by the Madhya Pradesh Government.
A separate site had also been set aside for a plantation park, where trees can be planted by tourists on paying Rs 200. The railway station has also undergone renovation and the roads leading to Khajuraho had been recognised as a National Highway, he said.
Pramila Poddar, Convenor of the Khajuraho chapter ofIndian National Trust for Culture and Heritage (INTACH) said the Bharatiya Jnanpith had published anthologies on the temple and a CD-Rom on the temples would be launched early next year.
On in full swing, the celebrations are being overseen by the Khajuraho Millenium Committee headed by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh and Uma Bharati, Minister of state for Human Resource Development, as Vice-chairperson.
Also on the cards is a music festival -- likely to be made an annual feature -- organised by Madhya Pradesh Tourism, who in collaboration with the Union government's Department of Tourism will also organise the Millenium Night on December 31.
In addition, a shilpgram (crafts village) has also been set up which will host activities round the year.
Three events linked to the celebrations will be taken abroad: paintings from the Artists Camp to be held in December, theatre productions by Nissar and Amal Allana planned for January and a costume collection exhibition by Ashish Soni,which will be on display in Khajuraho, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore in February next year.
The celebrations have already been marked by a glorious achievement-- the excavation of the largest temple in Khajuraho. Only 20 of the 85 temples built by the Chandelas had been excavated and restored to their glory but the budgetary allocation for the celebration, enabled the excavation of the large temple. A statue of Goddess Saraswati with four hands was one of the prized acquisitions.
Different organisations have come forward to sponsor the events and make the celebrations a success. The central and state Governments have provided infrastructural support like rail, road and air links to Khajuraho.
In fact the plethora of activities at Khajuraho have prompted the Tourism Department to include the celebrations in its `Visit India' promotion, said Pramila Poddar.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
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