The Khajuraho International Dance Festival, India: A BEAM Analysis
Introduction
There is a town (which is more like a village) named Khajuraho, which is a 13-hour train ride southeast of New Delhi, the largest city and the capital of India, that hosts the India’s oldest dance festival – the Khajuraho International Dance Festival every year since 1975. Why would a festival of dance take place “in the middle of nowhere”?
I was very privileged to attend in 2023 and arrived at the hot, barren, clay-filled and poorly-maintained train station and was overwhelmed by the heat and the smells of cow dung, goats, stray dogs, excrement and more – the smell of all poor rural areas in India, I assume. It was an onslaught to the senses and while it was not pleasant, it was an experience that I was anticipating. Although I am of Indian origin, I have hardly spent time in India, and this was my first visit to this place and this festival. As a dance artist, I have never studied and do not practice any Indian art forms. Therefore, this was exciting from many different points of view.
So why is this obscure town or large village in the state of Madhya Pradesh, the home to India’s oldest dance festival? What makes it special? Who are the people that live in this remote village? The villagers are mainly farmers and small business owners who thrived during the tourist seasons, and other than that spent time tending their flock, and working the farms.
Khajuraho was awarded a UNESCO world heritage site status because it is home to some of the most ancient, finest, religious Hindu temples. This is the beauty and magic of Khajuraho. The temples were built during the Chandella dynasty between 950 and 1050. Today about 20 temples remain, and they fall into two categories of religions – Hinduism and Jainism. These ornate temples, some of which stand 4 stories high, comprise sculptures that are highly erotic and sensuous. The temple area is cordoned off and is part of a large beautifully manicured garden. The pathways between the temples are in pristine condition and there are public amenities in convenient locations for all worshippers or visitors.
The
Khajuraho International Dance Festival (KIDF)
KIDF is organized by the Ustad Alauddin Khan Sangeet Avam Kala Academy[1] with the support of the Government of Madhya Pradesh’s Department of Culture and the State Tourism Department Corporation, was first launched in 1975 and is always held from 20-26 February each year. There is a special stage erected in front of the temples with the glorious temples serving a magnificent background. The format of the outdoor festival is straightforward generally that over the 7 nights, the following events take place:
a. Opening ceremony (including formalities with dignitaries, and special artist/s performances. b. Each of the following nights will feature one genre of classical Indian dance (there are 8 classical styles in India) performed by various artists, companies, schools, etc. c. Final closing night performance with awarding of souvenirs etc.
Besides this, the festival also has other more
tourist-related activities such as:
- Camping – Panna fields
- Village Tour - Old Khajuraho Village
- E-bike Tour - Khajuraho Temple
- Segway Tour - Khajuraho
- Water Sports – Katni lakes
The festival highlights the diversity of classical dances of the different states in India, Khatak (North India), Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Odissi (Odisha), Mohiniattam (Kerala), Sattriya (Assam), Manipuri (Manipur), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh) and Kathakali (Kerala). This might perhaps be seen as a very narrow approach, and a repetition of the same forms each year, which in a sense it is. However, owing to the magnitude of the nation, and hence the number of arts practitioners, this does allow more traditional and classical artists to be a part of this event. The international guest artists showcasing Odissi was Malaysia’s Sutra Dance Theatre, led by Ramli Ibrahim. This was a great cause for national pride.
Fig. 5: Closing ceremony with Sutra artists being introduced to dignitaries. Photo: Author
This year 2024, at the 50th anniversary celebrations there was an opening ceremony of 1484 Kathak dancers performing in the open field. Khatak is a north Indian classical style that involved a lot of spins and turns, and well as incredibly strong rhythmic understand which the dancers must to recite together with the musicians. It can be imagined that this is a huge, virtuosic task to achieve. The opening event created a new Guiness Book of Records for this category. Although I am personally not in favor of these kinds of mass dances, dancers and dancing, I understand the value of the attention it can garner, and the degree to which it can raise the profile of the festival, which in turn can help generate support for the future editions.
In 2023, in collaboration with the World Dance Alliance[2] (WDA) Asia Pacific, KDF organized a contemporary residency and ChoreoLab (choreography and performance exchange laboratory) for the first time. This was monumental considering how steeped the festival is in traditions and classicism. This indicated a willingness and openness to change and inclusivity. The 6-day Choreolab invited guests from various countries – India (Nachom Foundation led by Surjit Nongmeikapam), Malaysia (MyDance Alliance led by Dr. JS Wong), Korea (MUT Dance), Singapore (Nagi Dance), Taiwan (MAD Dance) and Canada (Sashar Zahar Ensemble) to present workshops, to share about dance in their countries, and showcase performances. This was the aspect of the festival that I was a part of and helped to curate together with a team from India (Urmimalar Sarkar Munsi and Paramita Saha) and Bangladesh (Lubna Mariam). ASK Dance Company was Malaysia's representative at this event and danced works by Malaysian choreographers including Chicken and Egg by Chai Vivan, Madu by Nadhirah Razid, Langkah 17 by Azmie Zanal Abdden, WiRama by Joseph Gonzales, and Unparalleled Ragas by Imran Syafiq and Kimberly Yap.
The location of the Choreolab was in a purpose-built tent in the field next to the main temple complex. There were many different tents set up (like the coliseums at trade expositions), each housing different art forms from India.
BEAM
Analysis of the Khajuraho International Dance Festival
This essay will analyze the effectiveness and the impact of this KIDF festival from several lenses and theories regarding cities, cultures and festivals. Firstly, the BEAM Theory (Yu, 2023), states that the BEAM-GEST cultural model to view and analyze festivals from the following:
- Belief and value
- Everyday lifestyle
- Arts and Creation
- Memories and Tradition.
As Tylor (1871) states “culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” From this definition, we can conclude that the people of Khajuraho are a community that possesses a culture. Khajuraho is their city of culture. So, for one week every year for the past 50 years, the people of Khajuraho stay focused on the transformation of their town with the presence of foreigners or people from other parts of India, and possibly a flood of people not of Hindu or Jain faith, and highlight everyday culture and beliefs, and awe at the wonder of the magnificent temples.
While Khajuraho is well-known in traditional and classical Indian dance circles, the general life of the people of this little town is more “rural culture” which is high density but not necessarily diverse. Drawing from this, the four areas that will be addressed to assess the impact of the KIDF are divided into the following:
i.
Social
Impact
The town and village of Khajuraho and its vicinity where the festival is held, is steeped in religiosity with the residents being primarily of Hindu or Jain faith. As such, it is broadly known that the festival brings together the residents of all ages in faith and worship at these renowned temples.
The daily rituals of prayer, offerings and sacrifice are part of their routine, and it becomes more concentrated and intense when the tourists arrive during the festival season. While the festival serves as a conduit for artistic expression of faith through the dances, in doing so, it helps the believers and visitors gel together in commonality. The majority of the locals are farmers, fishermen, artisans who paint and make sculptures, small business owners, food and beverage entrepreneurs and tour guides (during the festival season). It is a common sight to see the visitors joining the locals in prayers and worship.
ii.
Economic
Impact
The economic aspect that the festival brings to the community is phenomenal. In fact, it is probably the largest contributor to their annual income. All the local hotels, guest houses, and Airbnb accommodations are fully occupied in this period, and the bookings must be made well in advance to ensure space. The prices are reasonable even during the peak period. This is due to their strong religious values, and together with this, all the food and beverages in restaurants are depleted each day with both local and foreign fares on offer catering to the multitude of nationalities present. Known for its north Indian culinary delights, this is also one of the highlights and drawcards of the festival.
The stalls and handicrafts are sold throughout the day in the village, and from evening into the night at the festival grounds. The atmosphere in the fields is very festive and perhaps more secular than in the gated garden area of the temples. The handicraft on sale includes silver wear, costume jewelry, clothes, bags, and daily Indian attire. Besides this, there are a lot of artworks, pottery, statues also on sale.
This is the everyday life of the people of Khajuraho, except it is performed in a concentrated and condensed version, of high intensity with high returns.
iii.
Branding
The branding of the festival is completely entwined with traditional and classical dance forms of India and religiosity. Established 50 years ago, the Khajuraho International Dance Festival prides itself as the pinnacle showcase and platform of classical Indian dance styles and the most established dance festival in India that is well known amongst the connoisseurs. The event is always held on the same dates, 20 – 26 February is also a very smart campaign of consistency which allows people to plan their visits well in advance. It is very prestigious to be invited to perform at this festival, as it is a recognition of the standard and quality of performing arts groups. The groups that perform on the main stage are mainly from India however, sometimes there are guest artists from international countries that are recognised for the continuation of Indian classical dances too.K
IDF brand of classical and traditional Indian dance sells itself as dances that have a strong foundation in Hinduism and Jainism, and as such it is appropriately held in front of the most revered temple complex in the world. The organizers want the visitors to know that Indian dance, which has a huge non-Hindu or Jain following, and innumerable artists not of Hindu faith, that this is the gatekeeper of traditional values and faith.
iv.
Environmental
Issues
Unfortunately
for the festival, and the nation of India, there is blatant disregard for the
environment. India is infamous in this aspect. From garbage to sewage, very
little is done at the grassroots level to reduce waste. Except for the
immediate festival grounds, which are beautiful, manicured gardens, the
surrounds sites, including the neighboring fields which houses the individual
marque tents for the special performances, are filled with plastic and paper
cups, towels etc. thrown in random by the masses (usually the locals) that are
present as guests or who are vendors. The makeshift toilets for tourists also
do not guarantee good cleanliness, and this constantly presents a challenge to
those who are unused to these less than modern conditions.
In this sense, it is the foreign
guests and tourists at the festival who are trying to bring about a change in
the mindsets of the people who live there about having greater awareness of
matters of the environment. However, as the level of poverty is generally so
great in India, preservation, and conservation or sustainability of the planet
is not as high priority as sanitation, clean drinking water, reduction of air
pollution, plastic and garbage waste and so on. These are fundamental issues
that must be dealt with by the festival organizers in future.
Conclusion
The Khajuraho
International Dance Festival is a must on the annual calendar of dance lovers.
However, more than this, it is also an attraction to those who love heritage
buildings and sites. This is made more powerful because of the religious
affiliations of these temples. It is incredible to think of the artisans who
did all the intricate stone carvings, and complex architecture.
The reason that the main stage
performances need to retain the classical forms as it best relates to the
religious beliefs of the people. However, the 2023 edition of the festival that
housed a contemporary ChoreoLab in a purpose-built black box tent in the
adjoining field is the way forward. This will make the festival more inclusive
and broaden the attraction of the festival to those who may not be aware of
Indian classical arts. Further, as noted above, the festival will need to
embrace the global trends in sustainability and conservation of the planet by
ensuring a minimum wastage during this time.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Prof. Louis Yu from the Department of Arts Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong for introducing BEAM Theory and championing its concepts pertaining to making cities cultural and sustainable.
References:
E. B. Tylor, “Primitive Culture,” Murray, London, 1871.
https://khajurahodancefestival.com/about-khajuraho.php
Yuhttps://www.academia.edu/103008490/The_BEAM_Cultural_Indicators_A_Pilot_Study_of_an_Urban_Cultural_Indicators_System
https://branchcollective.org/?ps_articles=peter-logan-on-culture-edward-b-tylors-primitive-culture-1871#:~:text=Written%20at%20the%20same%20time,and%20habits%20acquired%20by%20man
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