Indian dance group draws Jerusalemites in hundreds, as Israel celebrates Sukkot holidays

Hundreds of Jerusalemites were enthralled by a virtuoso performance by a group led by Ritusri Chaudhuri, the talented India Kathak exponent, as Israel celebrates Sukkot. Sukkot is a week-long Jewish holiday that celebrates the fall harvest. It is one of the most joyful festivals in Judaism, meant to bring families, friends and communities together.

Chaudhuri's performance on Friday was followed by the enthusiastic audience trying out several moves demonstrated by the award-winning performer.

''How much energy? India's diversity and rich cultural traditions never fail to entertain and surprise us,'' Ruth, in her seventies, told PTI after the performance.

Children, youngsters and elderly -- people of all age groups -- attended the performance of the ICCR sponsored group which takes pride in uniting the traditional art form with the modern, a fusion whose electrifying impact was visible all around in the audience.

Maya, 13, a youngster who learns a local dance form, was ''amazed at the creative sense and intense focus'', wondering how a fusion of the local dance form and Indian classical would impact the larger audience.

As Israel celebrates Sukkot holidays, the performance presented an excellent opportunity for people in Jerusalem for a family outing.

The group also entertained a gathering of thousands at the national convention of Indian Jews in Petah Tikva on Thursday evening and will also be performing at the India Cultural Centre in Israel on Friday during their stay in Israel.

''The crowd here is very encouraging and the warm response is a huge morale booster. Me and my group are enjoying our performances here,'' Chaudhuri told PTI.

At Jerusalem's First Station, the dance group on Friday afternoon mesmerised the audience with performance of Safr-e-ruhaniyat (sufi form), Naveli Naar (an amalgamation of abhinaya), a ghazal based on the poetry by Bahadur Shah Zafar which is the depiction of the longing and the pain of the woman waiting for her beloved and Vande Mataram, the essence of India's cultural diversity.

Lead performer and choreographer, Ritu Chaudhuri, was accompanied by young performers Harshal Vyas, Hriday Pal, Samadreeta Chanda, Anamika Mondal, Aditi Rawat, Paavni Nangia and Ritopratim Chaudhary.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)