Lokmanthan 3.0: Guwahati's Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra gears up to celebrate cultural extravaganza

The Lokmanthan is enriched to launch the Guwahati Edition from September 22nd to September 24th, 2022, with the theme "Lokparampara". It will be held at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati.

The Guwahati Edition is all set to celebrate the Lok Sanskriti which has been flowing through the hills and dales of North East Bharat along with the entire country.

The first edition of the Lokmanthan was held in 2016 with the focus on ‘De-Colonising Indian Minds’. The theme of the second edition of Lokmanthan held in 2018 was "BharatBodh: Jan-Gan-Man".

This will be the third edition of Lokmanthan, and the theme of this year’s biennale colloquium is ‘Lokparampara’ (Lok traditions), which will emphasise how Lok traditions have kept our cultural consciousness intact and strengthened our feeling of national selfhood.

"Lokmanthan" is an occasion where artists, intellectuals, and academicians drawn from different parts of the country converge and brainstorm on the questions that haunt society with the aim of reshaping the narratives to prepare and lead the nation to play its civilizational role.

Besides, the three-day event will have discussions, seminars, cultural events, and exhibitions that showcase the rich diversity of the nation. "Lokmanthan" is a cultural and civilizational response to such efforts and ideologies that see Bharat as a multiplicity of nations.

The formal Inaugural Session of the event will be organised on September 22, 2010, at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra. 

Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice-President of India,  will be the Chief Guest of the event. The Inaugural Session will also be graced by Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Hon’ble Governor, Assam amd Nagaland as the "Guest of Honour".

Popular leader of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam, will also address the session as a distinguished guest.

The Inauguration of the Exhibition and Cultural Evening will be held at 5 PM on September 21, 2022. The evening  program will be attended by Bimal Borah, Minister of Industries and Commerce, Public Enterprises and Cultural

Affairs, Government of Assam; Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba, Manipur Member of Rajya Sabha; and Tirthanka Das Kalita, Boudhik Pramukh Assam Kshetra, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

A series of intellectual sessions are organised during ‘Lokmanthan’ which will be addressed by Jishnu Dev Varma, Deputy Chief Minister, Tripura; Dr Ranoj Pegu, Minister of Education, Govt. of Assam; and several prominent scholars across the country. 

The Governor of Kerala, Arif Muhammad Khan, will be the Chief Guest at the Valedictory session on September 24th. Eminent intellectuals, prominent artists and academics will participate in various sessions.
Besides, the four-day event will have discussions, cultural events, and exhibitions that will showcase the rich diversity of the nation.

‘Lokmanthan’ will also host three evenings filled with spectacular cultural performances. A spectrum of colourful folk-dance forms of the North East like Wangala Dance of Meghalaya, Cheraw Dance of Mizoram, Sattrya, Bihu Dance of Assam, Hojagiri Dance of Tripura, Ao Warrior dance of Nagaland, Yak dance and Chinghi Chaam dance of Arunachal Pradesh, Dhol Chalam and Thangta dance of Manipur and many other dance forms will be presented by talented artistes across North East India. The cultural showcase will also present diverse dance forms across India, such as Yakshagana, Jijhoti Dance, etc.

Every evening from September 21st to 23rd, 2022, some of the most well-known musicians of North East India will grace the stage, including Manipur's popular folk band, Mangka Laihui, Nagaland's well-known musical sisters, Tetseo Sisters, and Assam's popular musical icons, such as Neel Akash, Dikshu, Mayuri Dutta, and Kalpana Patowari.The entry fee for the programme is free.

"Lokmanthan" is an attempt to connect intellectuals and practitioners working for the conservation of our cultural heritage. The programme is intended to raise awareness about the Lok Parampara of North East India and to commemorate India's great historical legacy.