The Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah  will attend a cultural programme, Mukti-matrika (‘Freedom as Mother’), organised by Ministry of Culture at the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata tomorrow. The Governor of West Bengal, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar will also grace the occasion among other dignitaries.

Mukti-matrika will consist of a dance performance by eminent Odissi dancer Smt. Dona Ganguly and her troupe, Diksha Manjari, and a recital by the noted musician duo, Sourendro-Soumyojit. It is a significant event in the ongoing celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – 75 years of India’s Independence, a commemoration of the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements.

The cultural programme is also being organised in the backdrop of UNESCO inscription of the Durga Puja of Bengal in the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,  and Centenary Year celebration of Victoria Memorial Hall in 2021-22.

The term Mukti-matrika conjures up the perennial image of a mother, even the Divine Mother, but its symbolism goes much beyond that and encompasses the idea of ‘mukti’ or freedom / independence / liberation, as well as the idea of ‘matrika’, an icon in which a land or a nation can be imagined. Bengal is celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav with a special fervour, an ode to the Azadi that was made possible by the monumental struggles and sacrifices made by its revolutionaries (Biplobis) and nationalists. Additionally, it is enshrining the recognition given to its landmark cultural heritage, the iconic Durga Puja, worldwide. Binding these two themes, Mukti-Matrika will establish the connection between Independence and Mother (Goodess Durga) especially in view of the fact that Durga, too, symbolizes our ‘Azadi’, our deliverance from the clutches of evil, symbolized by the demon (asura).

The cultural programme is scheduled to be held from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Central Hall of the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata, on Friday, 6 May 2022.

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