BHOPAL: How many wind instruments can you think of? Flute is one; shehnai is another, not to forget the ‘been’, the trademark of snake charmers, and of course, conch shells, associated with Hindu rituals. No matter how hard you think, the list won’t grow beyond the double-digit mark.
However, a bewildering array of 200 wind instruments was on display at Sushir- one of the three exhibitions put up at the five-day Lokrang Fest – which ended here on Wednesday. Whistling – which we all can do – is, by far, the oldest form of wind instrument, reveals the expo.
The exhibits ranged from instruments made from a bewildering range of materials – from wood to brass to silver to horns to bones to bamboo to copper and even gourd. And they had tongue-twisting names like Tutri, Narsingha, Jhuriya Sepa, Combu, Masak and Algoza. Then, there were the better known ones like trumpet, flute, shehnai, clarinet and been.
Dr Mahesh Chandra Shandilya, programme officer of the MP Tribal Museum, said the instruments have been collected from all over the country. “It was a painstaking task,” he said.
What made the expo interesting was that each display carried a caption describing the instrument, the material used in making it and communities or areas where they are popular. Photographs showing ordinary folks playing the instruments were an added attraction.
Another expo titled, Devi, showcased paintings of 108 forms of Hindu goddesses. The acrylic on canvas works were the labour of love of painter Kailashchandra Sharma. Devis – all in contemplative mood – were shown on different mounts including lion, donkey, swan, elephant, garuda and bull.
Some looked resplendent in their fine clothes and jewellery, others were scantily-clad while some were depicted almost nude. Some seemed benevolent and bewitching while others were a picture of fury, wearing garlands of skulls with blood dripping from their mouths. Some had two hands; others had four while others had eight hands. And they carried deadly weapons in their hands. The paintings were the product of artist’s imagination, for no one has seen how Devis look, but they were enchanting, all the same.
Another expo christened, Manidhar, focused on ‘Nag’ in art and mythology. Serpents have been an object of fear and reverence for centuries and they find mention in innumerable mythological folk and tribal tales. Nag Panchami is celebrated to appease snakes.
Interestingly, the Naga tribe ruled over large parts of India in the past and Pushyamitra Shunga, a Mauryan general, is believed to have run over Naga kingdom some 200 years before Christ. The reverence for Nags, it is believed, may have something to do with this ancient ruling clan.
The three expos drew an enthusiastic response.
