Sanchaari Allahabad is once again all set to enthrall and enlighten the city with Awaaz – its annual fiesta for 2017. The theme for this year is ‘Vignettes of Womanhood’ and the two-day event will be held at the NCZCC, in Allahabad, on the 4th and 5th of November. Here’s a report by Tooba, exclusively in Different Truths.

Sanchaari is all set for the affair and would be welcoming artists and speakers both from Allahabad and outside. The inaugural session (Day 1, Nov 4th) will be on ‘Spoken Word Poetry’, by Nandini Varma, who is the co-founder of the Airplane Poetry Movement; following which Lalita Iyer will speak, in a session titled ‘The Whole Shebang’.

A youth voice session by RJ Bhumika and a makeup workshop by international make-up artist Geetika Chakravarti will follow of day one.‘Dil Ek Khane Anek’ – a special session dedicated to food will be held with Rana Safvi, Hina Gujral, and Dhananjay Chopra. Also, Anuja Chauhan, bestselling author of books like The Zoya Factor, will grace the dais on the evening of November 4. 

Day one will come to a close with ‘Rooh-Dari’: a music rendition by acclaimed artist, Rashmi Agarwal.

Day two will commence with a Heritage Walk by Rana Safvi at the historic Allahabad Fort, following which Amresh Mishra will speak on the ‘Women of Allahabad in Early 20th Century’. Accomplished academicians like Neelum Saran Gour, Anita Gopesh, Saba Mahmood Bashir and Arnabi Banerjee shall come together onstage to deliver special ‘Readings on Womanhood’.

A unique session encompassing varied aspects of health and nutrition will also be held at noon. The panel will comprise of a nutritionist (Chaya Mishra), a gynaecologist (Reema Sarkar), a psychologist (Dr. Ruchika Verma), physical fitness expert (Meeta Bhutani), and an orthopaedic surgeon (Dr. Pranay Pandey).

Academician and poet, Smita Agarwal will conduct a session on single mothers: “Eyes that spoke of pain, but not defeat”. Following this, Jasoosni – a film by Ananda Kapur, will be screened. To add to the liveliness, the evening of Day two will be made more fun by Amit Mishra’s standup comedy performance.

The event will come to a close with Neelakshi Mishra Rai’s Kathak performance in tribute to Allahabad’s very own Thumri artists.

In addition to all of this, Sanchaari is proud to exhibit an assorted collection of handicrafts and handlooms, most of them by individual artists. These will include fabrics and weaves, block printing collections, jute work, ceramic pottery, and traditional jewellery among others. The entry and registrations are free and open for all who wish to treat themselves to two days of art, music dashed with mirth and gaiety.

©Tooba Masood

Photos from Sanchaari

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Tooba Masood

Tooba Masood is a student of English Literature at the University of Allahabad, Allahabad. She studied in St. Mary's Convent and graduated from Ewing Christian College. While in school, Tooba was a regular contributor to its magazine before becoming its Chief Editor for 2011-12. Apart from writing, she is an avid reader. She is interested in theatre and elocution. She has worked with organisations like Lab Academia and Sanchaari. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD.

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