A tribute to yoga via arts

Performers showcase their skills at Lalit Kala Akademi on Sunday. —Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The practice of yoga extends much beyond the physical aspect of performing asanas on a daily basis and the discipline it brings into a person’s routine.

To showcase the way in which it has impacted the heritage of the country and the visual arts, Sangeet Natak Akademi is organising a festival ‘Yog Parv’, which has on display over 300 selected works of art, a line-up of dance and music performances, workshops, and other presentations by over 150 artists from across India and overseas.

The exhibition takes one through centuries of art and expression that borrows from yogic discipline so that viewers can see how yoga permeates into all aspects of creativity.

The relation between yoga and arts can be traced back to nearly 300 years with the help of a rare surviving artefact of the Indus Valley Civilisation which is part of the National Museum’s collection - a rare seal featuring a yogi seated in a cross-legged posture.

With the help of artefacts that belong to various museums and galleries from across the world, the exhibition provides an experience to understand the concept of yoga as it is practised across the world today and understand its journey and the way it has been interpreted over time.

The event has been categorised into three sections. The first at Lalit Kala Galleries which will host Yoga Chakra: Tradition and Modernity which has been curated by Sushma Bahl and Archana. B. Sapra. This is the multimedia art exhibition that presents a survey of yoga in visual arts.

At Meghdoot Theatre, yoga and its eclectic values and links with dance and music will be on display through performance pieces. The interdependence of these disciplines and their philosophical interconnections will be brought alive by renowned artists who will give performances and talk about their arts in the context of yoga.

The Rabindra Bhavan lawns will showcase how yoga can be used for harmony and peace at several pandals. The lawns will have an open platform for dialogue and consultancies, and will illuminate the role played by yogis and yoginis and new age gurus and spiritual leaders. There will also be demonstrations and presentations related to lifestyle, medicine, organic and herbal products and a wide variety of organic cuisine for public to savour.

The exhibition is on till June 27.