IMPHAL, Nov 12 � The �9th Bhagyachandra National Festival 2011� was inaugurated by Manipur Governor Gurbachan Jagat on Friday at Shri Shri Govindaji temple here.
In his speech on the occasion, Governor Jagat said dance and music which are integral part of culture and tradition of any civilisation have developed through the ages and are a part and parcel of human life.
He noted that historical records indicate that several centuries before the birth of Christ all theatrical arts of India were already developed. But today�s dance is the result of the past one century of activity and it should be the bounden duty of the present generation to preserve and promote the Indian dances, he added. He said the idea of organising the Bhagyachandra dance festival was conceived during 1989 with a high ambition of placing the festival on the cultural map of India in the line of much acclaimed Konark and Khajuraho festivals.
�I hope that the national festival organised in the memory of a celebrated King of Manipur, Bhagyachandra, who had completely renounced the materialistic world and was the exponent of Manipuri classical dance, will prove to be the silken thread to bind the people of Manipur with other parts of the country and help promote national understanding and integration.�
Around 40 dance troupes and individuals from other States are participating in the main dance performances of the festival.