Bihar Diwas 2016 to be celebrated at the IGCIC

Bihar Diwas 2016 will be celebrated in a big and special way on 27th March 2016 from 14hrs to 16hrs at the IGCIC, Phoenix. The Bhojpuri Speaking Union has worked on this project under the aegis of the Ministry of Arts and Culture and in collaboration with High Commission of India and the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture (IGCIC). The programme will comprise three components: The Glories of Bihar Art exhibition, launching of books and cultural performances. The Glories of Bihar Art exhibition will be on display in the rotunda of the IGCIC. Two books will be launched, namely “Clinging to our Indian Roots” by Mr. Breejan Burrun, well known journalist and writer and “Mauritius mein humare purvaz aur unki sanskritik virasat” by Dr. Indradev Bholah. The Cultural programme will include powerpoint presentations, ballet, dances from the Geet Gawai School of Bhojpuri Speaking Union, Kathak dance and songs from the IGCIC, Quawali, Ghazal and Bhojpuri Geet and poetry recital. Bihar Diwas is an activity that is organized by the Bhojpuri Speaking Union under the aegis of the Ministry of Arts and Culture annually, as the great majority of Mauritians hail from the Bhojpuri belt of Bihar, and the Bhojpuri language, culture and traditions, tangible and intangible heritage brought by the Girmitiya ancestors form a major component of the fabric of Mauritian Society. The Guest of Honour will be Lady Sarojini Jugnauth.The Chief Guest will be the Minister of Arts and Culture Mr. Santaram Baboo. The High Commissioner of India Shri Anup Kumar Mudgal will also be present. Speaking to News on Sunday, the chairperson of the Bhojpuri Speaking Union, Dr. Mrs. Sarita Boodhoo said that Bihar Diwas has now become an established tradition in Mauritius. “ It is of prime importance to celebrate Bihar Diwas for historic reasons. Most of our population hail from Bihar. Our cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, has its roots in Bihar. Over the years Mauritius has emerged as an international centre for the Bhojpuri-speaking Diaspora”, Dr. Mrs Boodhoo also announced that the “Bhojpuri Geet Gawai” has been presented to UNESCO to be considered as a cultural heritage that should be inscribed on the list of world cultural heritage. She added that Bihar has a rich and glorious past. “Those hailing from Bihar have this inborn fighting spirit. They never give up. You can feel resilience among the people of Bihar. Wherever they have settled overseas in the former colonies, they have taken up political leadership. In April 1917, Mahatma Gandhi visited Champaran, where Raj Kumar Shukla had drawn his attention to the exploitation of the peasants by European indigo planters. The Champaran Satyagraha that followed received support from many Bihari nationalists, such as Rajendra Prasad and Anugrah Narayan Sinha.”