Lucknow: The inspiring life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda were brought to life through the play 'Yuvaon Ke Prareta: Swami Vivekananda,' presented on Saturday evening at Jupiter Hall, Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. The performance marked the second day of 'Rashmirathi Parv', a three-day drama festival organized by the Uttar Pradesh culture department, celebrating 75 years of poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's famous Hindi epic poem 'Rashmirathi'.
Play Recreated Defining Moments
Directed by Mujeeb Khan, the one-and-a-half-hour production recreated defining moments from the great monk's life. It depicted his determined journey to Chicago in 1893 for the Parliament of Religions and the hardships he overcame, as well as the support extended by the Maharaja of Khetri, who gave Narendra Nath Dutta the name 'Swami Vivekananda.' A highlight of the play was the portrayal of Vivekananda's visit to Lucknow and his admiration for the city's rich culture.
Powerful Performance
Akeel Alvi, who played the main role, embodied the luminary's commanding presence with confidence. His delivery of the timeless call, 'Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached,' earned loud applause from the audience. The troupe from Ideal Drama and Entertainment Academy had travelled from Mumbai to present the play.
Inspiring Youth
Chairperson Neeraj Kumar said, 'We organised this play to inspire youngsters with the life of a personality who dedicated himself to the nation and worked tirelessly for social uplift.' Chief guest Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya recalled the contribution of Padma Bhushan awardee Dinkar, a poet, essayist and freedom fighter from Bihar, also known as 'rashtra kavi' for his fiery nationalist poetry.
Upcoming Events
On the third day of the festival, a theatrical performance based on Bal Gangadhar Tilak, along with a dance-drama titled 'Atal Swaranjali' on the poems of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will be held on Sunday.
