Indra Dhanush: An Ode to India’s Timeless Cultural Heritage (Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi) Set of 2 Volumes

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The term of the current Presidency started on 25 July 2012. The Hon'ble President had, at that time, conveyed that over the next five years, he would like to build on and take forward the contributions of each of his predecessors in placing Rashtrapati Bhavan at the centre stage of India's socio-political landscape. Another priority for him was to demystify Rashtrapati Bhavan in the eyes of the general public. The idea was to make them experience it not as a Presidential Palace but as an inalienable part of their history and culture.

Various steps have since been initiated to preserve the rich historical, cultural and social legacy of Rashtrapati Bhavan. There has been a concerted effort towards increased public outreach and bringing Rashtrapati Bhavan, and its functioning, closer to the public. Thus, while on the one hand, Rashtrapati Bhavan has been opened for public access on three days of the week and the visiting hours extended, on the other, steps are being taken to conserve and restore this monument as a living heritage and as an inextricable part of Indian history. An important initiative has been the preparation of a Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP) by the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), to lay the blueprint for future interventions in the President's Estate.

Continuing with this line of thought, as enunciated by the President, a need was also felt for authentic documentation of various facets of Rashtrapati Bhavan seamlessly interwoven into one another. It was felt that while, at present, there are several stand- alone publications on Rashtrapati Bhavan, there is no authentic, officially documented narrative with an underlying, unifying theme and perspective. In that context, it was decided to commission a multi-volume series on various aspects of this one-of-its kind monument, in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA). The present volume on cultural life and performances in Rashtrapati Bhavan, titled Indra Dhanush, is the first in the series which shall comprise, amongst others, volumes on the President's Bodyguard, Presidential Retreats, Landscape and Architecture, Interiors and Artworks, Kitchens, Dining and Entertaining and Flora and Fauna. Demographically, India today is one of the youngest countries in the world and recognising this, there is going to be an illustrated children's book, as part of this series, for our future generations. The entire series will adopt a thematic and interdisciplinary approach with a view to relating all parts to the whole.

I would also emphasise that Rashtrapati Bhavan is at the centre of a diverse heritage. It is one of the greatest architectural landmarks of the modern era, with a unique synthesis of eastern and western influences.

Indra Dhanush, our in-house cultural series, seeks to showcase the richness and magnificence of Indian art and culture. It is an ode to a timeless and treasured cultural legacy, representing both continuity and change. Conceptualised for the first time in the year 2002, it has now been given a new dimension and a more concrete structure and form with its own distinctive logo. Our national bird the peacock which now symbolises Indra Dhanush represents, in the true sense, the diversity, uniqueness and brilliance of India's performing arts and music.

Indra Dhanush to us at Rashtrapati Bhavan represents a way of life through it we seek to present and preserve India's cultural heritage dating back several millennia. This initiative not only enables distinguished performers and artistes to exhibit their body of work, it also gives both connoisseurs and the general public an opportunity to partake their brilliance.

I have been privileged to play host to a galaxy of maestros over the last two years. They have uplifted our souls and enriched our living experience with a display of perhaps the finest music and dance performances anywhere in the world. From the iconic Ramayana, to the mellifluous strains of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia's bansuri, to the rare and ancient art form of kutiyattam, recognised by UNESCO as part of the world's intangible oral heritage, Rashtrapati Bhavan has since August 2012 witnessed an array of memorable performances. I am delighted that these are being captured and documented for posterity in the first volume of the multi-volume series on Rashtrapati Bhavan, titled Indra Dhanush.

The two landmark cultural events held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2015-16 were the cultural performances celebrating US President Barack Obama's visit to India (25 January 2015) and the India-Africa Forum Summit (29 October 2015).

Spectacular in its presentation, the performance in January was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan auditorium in a beautifully choreographed 35-minute show, opening up the entire range of Indian classical dance. The intricate repertoire of each of these dance forms was presented as a comprehensive whole, with all of them coming together in a mesmerizing finale.

The cultural tribute to the African summit (October 2015) was staged in the regal Mughal Gardens with the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhavan edifice illuminated in the background as symbolic and overpowering scenography. On display was a visual panorama of classical dance along with an extensive range of performances drawing from folk forms (Chhau, Gotipua, Lai Haraoba, Garba), traditional vocal music (Sufi, Manganiyars, classical vocalists), modern Indian dance and carefully chosen representations of African dances, revealing civilizational connections. An ever-expanding, seamless range of cultural expressions overlapped like waves, encompassing the local, the regional, the national and in a way, the global.

The spaces of Rashtrapati Bhavan can be seen as performative locales, a scenario which generates its own meanings of history and politics even as the site itself emerges as the most imposing landmark of the country, a symbol of Indian democracy and its pluralistic ethos. This marks a vivid turnaround for a monument which was erected by the British to symbolize their might and dominance-democracy and good governance have truly struck root in the Indian nation.