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 today. The Governor of Kerala, Justice (Retd) P. Sathasivam and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.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 Shri E. Sreedharan.The Vice President said that we continue to revive and foster ancient art forms so that we may enrich the quality of our lives and the lives of the people of the world by sharing the infinitely ennobling, harmonizing and blissful universal vision of our country. He further said that Gita Govindam’s unusually wide appeal comes from the story of Sri Krishna and his love for Radha. The story of Sri Krishna has a deep resonance in the Indian hearts and the composition is so lyrical and melodious that it is eminently suitable for various adaptations by musicians and dancers, he added.The Vice President said that philosophy, spirituality, fine arts and literature are a part of the same quest. The quest for a deeper meaning of life, quest for zest in a routinized mundane existence, and quest for achieving greater creative heights of imaginative expression and artistic creations, he added.