Storytelling Comes Alive at Udaipur Tales Festival


Storytelling Comes Alive at Udaipur Tales Festival

The three-day Storytelling Festival, organised by MA.My Anchor Foundation under the banner of Udaipur Tales, features captivating sessions by well-known storytellers from India and abroad

 
storytelling

Udaipur, January 13, 2025: With the goal to revive the tradition of storytelling, the MA.My Anchor Foundation, under the banner of Udaipur Tales, celebrated the 6th edition of Udaipur Storytelling Festival recently in the city. The festival aims to revive the centuries-old art of storytelling, bringing together narrators, writers and enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds. Held biennially, this festival featured captivating sessions that celebrate our rich cultural heritage, storytelling styles and traditions.

Over the three-day event, storytellers from across the country and abroad participated, each sharing their tales in their own unique style. The festival presented a variety of stories, including those that encouraged children, folk songs, folk tales, personal experiences and humorous exchanges. Each day started with storytelling sessions for children, and the event took place in three time slots—morning, afternoon and evening—under the banners of Kahaniganj and Jamghat.

Additionally, workshops were organised for visually impaired children, where they learned the art of storytelling by touching and feeling objects. On the final day, the Kahaniganj programme featured stories from Priyanka Chatterjee, Kahaniwala Rajat, Neha Bhaghuna, Shweta Nadkarni and Shreya Paliwal as well as adult storytelling sessions in Jamghat and workshops by Niharika and Rachel from Hong Kong. In the evening session of Kahaniganj, storytellers like Juliana Marin, Fauzia Dastango, Makrand Deshpande and Sameer Rahat took to the stage to tell their tales.

The first session of Kahaniganj left the audience spellbound. Priyanka Chatterjee narrated the mythological tale of the Monkey Temple, blending love, misunderstandings and royal conspiracies. Kahaniwala Rajat presented a humorous and environmentally-conscious re-telling of the famous story of Machli Jal Ki Rani Hai, carrying a message of love for water and the environment. He also narrated a poignant love story of a Pathan Sultan who defied social norms to love a farmer’s daughter. Rajat's storytelling included the tragic love story of Malwa's Raja Bagh Bahadur and Queen Roopmati, where the queen chose to poison herself to avoid falling into Akbar's hands, while Bagh Bahadur fought Akbar’s forces heroically before dying.

Neha Bhaguna shared a contemporary folk tale based on her childhood in Uttarakhand, her grandfather's wisdom and her journey from being a designer to becoming a storyteller. Shweta Nadkarni’s presentation reinterpreted Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, adding elements of love and music, enhanced by a beautiful rendition of the song Yeh Raat Yeh Mausam. Shreya Paliwal, along with renowned Rajasthani musicians, delivered an energetic performance of folk music and fusion dance, bringing Rajasthan's rich cultural heritage to life.

Co-founder Sushmita Singha said that Udaipur Tales has brought together diverse voices to celebrate the art of storytelling. Salil Bhandari, also co-founder of the foundation, shared that through stories and music, the goal of the foundation is to inspire creativity and connections across generations.

To join us on Facebook Click Here and Subscribe to UdaipurTimes Broadcast channels on   GoogleNews |  Telegram |  Signal