Delhi International Arts Festival starts tomorrow

New Delhi, Nov 30 (UNI) The Delhi International Arts festival kicks off tomorrow to showcase a wide variety of art exhibitions, classical dance, music, theatre and film festivals.

Positioned as India's signature festival, it will be held for the next 24 days at various venues in the city.

The opening day features "Vande Mataram", in which a galaxy of leading Indian dancers would present nine different dance styles ranging from Manipuri to Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Chhau to name a few. The artistes include Ranjana Gauhar (Odissi), Jaya Prabha Menon (mohiniattam), Sharodi Saikia (Sattriya) and Bharatanatyam by Pratibha Prahlad, Director of the festival who has also conceived and directed this programme.

The festival includes presentation by Swiss contemporary dancer and choreographer Anna Huber on December 2 and a Maestro performance of Bharatnatyam by Dr Padma Subramanyam on December 3, where the guest of honour will be Leader of Opposition L K Advani. An International colloquium on noted author Octavio Paz titled 'Paz after Paz' will be held on December 5, where among other's, Paz's widow Marie Jose Paz would be present.

On December, 7 a book titled ''Mad In India' would be released.

The festival also features a three-day contemporary Theatre festival ''Rashtra Spandan'' from December 8.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil will inaugurate Octave festival of Northeast on December 12.

Neela Sikkil and Mala Sikkil will please the audience with carnatic flute in the Music festival. Other events include a crafts mela, Indian folk dances, India-Pakistan brotherhood ghazal night by Anup Jalota and Pakistan singer Akbar Ali. The guest of honour will be Railway Minister Lalu Prasad.

A Literary festival, Sacred Music Festival and Children's film festival are some of the other attractions of the festival.

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