The Bhavan UK, London’s iconic cultural centre dedicated to the teaching and promotion of classical Indian arts, languages, culture and Yoga, hosted an annual Diwali fundraising gala marking the conclusion of an eventful golden jubilee year of celebrations.
Sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar, the Guest of Honour at the gala in London over the weekend, took a trip down memory lane to share some childhood memories of visiting the Bhavan with her father and guru – the late Pandit Ravi Shankar. She also shared her family’s special bond with Bhavan’s popular Executive Director, Dr M.N. Nandakumara MBE or Nandaji as he is fondly known.
Anoushka Shankar said: “It's an incredibly special place that we have. I think, for children to have that kind of exposure to their roots, to arts, to culture, to mythology, to all the things that come through what the Bhavan offers is so beautiful and meaningful.
“And of course, coming to my father, he had such a great love and appreciation for the Bhavan and supported everything it stood for. So, the relationship continued as I got to relate more and more closely to the Bhavan.”
The Bhavan UK, one of the many worldwide branches of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in India, was established in London in 1972 and moved to its current premises in West Kensington in 1978. The students of the cultural centre presented a range of musical and dance performances, with their proud gurus taking a bow with them.
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Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami, the Chief Guest of the evening, noted: “The Bhavan’s work in the last 51 years has made India and its culture accessible to all. It has brought a whole new generation of young people into a greater understanding and celebration of what it means to understand Indian art and culture; and it has made this accessible to a broader audience.
“That says a lot, of course, for this country to start with, that the connection with India continues to be celebrated through its culture, and that makes the Bhavan one of the wonderful bridges that connects the UK with India. But it also says something which I'd like you to dwell upon about Indian culture, which is in many senses the absence of a duality… Indian culture celebrates the fact that we don't see the world in binaries. And that, to me is one of the reasons why the Bhavan is so successful in bringing culture as a form of connecting people.”
Chairman Subhanu Saxena shared some highlights of the Bhavan’s 50th anniversary celebrations, which began last year, as he flagged the centre’s work across 23 subjects with nearly 700 students, besides its widespread online reach.
He said: “The Bhavan continues to be a vibrant institution with an active student base and a full roster of events. The performances of our students are nothing short of world class.”
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Dr Nandakumara reflected: “Just a few months shy of our 51st year here in London, I feel an immense sense of gratitude as I look back over the Bhavan’s activities over the last 12 months and most of all the fact that we are able to provide our students and audiences a place where they can fully dive into creativity and connection in so many forms.”
*Info: The Bhavan UK