Introduction of the project

Program

VIDEO

1. Traditional Indian music
The musicians will introduce several traditional Indian songs in original words, with the backing of native instruments. Cast: solo singing and choirs, flute, harmonium, tampura, mridanga, percussion, kartal, sitár, esaraj. The musicians, who have studied musical arts in India, will perform folk songs for dancing, as well as meditative moody pieces, in a 30 - minutes block. The acting band Venu Gopal performs regularly at various cultural and social events.

2. Actual world music
Many Czech and foreign musical bands have tentatively accepted our invitation to perform at Happy fest. Their particularity lies in traditional ethnical expression (for example harmonic vocal technique specific for the indigenous nations of Siberia), humanitarian consciousness (for example performance of American Indians group of the Navajo tribe, whose music speaks out about deeply rooted need for peace and human solidarity), and other cultured motives. Besides these, Czech bands of good repute which has gained respect of musical scene for the years of their existence and occupied leading positions on the attendance charts also take place.

3. Music interconnecting individual cultures
The performance of the musical bands who combine western popular music with Indian elements.

4. Indian dance
Rásabihárí Deví Dásí, the female dancer, visits India yearly for a couple of months and practices her art under the leadership of a professional master of this kind of dance. Bharata Natjam is one of the oldest classical dance forms in the world. It is purely spiritual dance, which has been performed in a temple from time immemorial. Later it was spread over to the royal courts and theaters of the world, due to its' beauty and popularity. It is something between a dance, a pantomime and a theatre performance, and the female dancer narrates stories through it.

5. Wisdom of ancient India
A lecture on the heart of Vedic literature. The Vedas discuss all the aspects of day-to-day life of the people. We can listen to the beautiful stories from ancient Indian history but also to some interesting spots from the lives of the outstanding Indian personalities.

6. Visit to the pilgrim localities
Digital video projection of the exclusive pictures from the most attractive places in India. Together will we take a look at the contemporary life of the inhabitants of India, its' history, culture events, architecture and also nature of this exotic country.

7. Theatre
A theatrical story from ancient Indian history. Human is a thinking being, as well as deeply emotional. Visitors of the festival can think of various life-questions interpreted in an emotional way among several acts.

Running program

Ladakh - little Tibet in a far-flung end of India
Little Tibet, The land of the passes, The kingdom of the hermits… these and many others are the names of a small country in the middle of Himalayan alpine moor - Ladakh. The life of local people in sympathy with wild nature, in a harsh and arid land between the mountain peaks and passes. An exhibition of the photographs taken by the world-traveler pair, Tomáš and Olga Bártas, during their half a year long journey throughout India.

Discussion with the travelers
The visitors will have an opportunity to gain more information about the day-to-day life of Indian people, their traditions, holy places, languages, feasts... and possibly to get inspired for their own journey to India.

Degustation of real Indian cuisine specialties
The visitors may taste either salt or sweet specialties prepared according to the traditional recipes.

Presentation of the ecological agriculture
Something about continually sustainable model of management and regardful, natural and healthy lifestyle.

Trade exposition of Indian craftwork
An offer of books, MC, CD, spice, incense etc...

What makes this project unique?

Beauty of the tradition - through Indian philosophy, music, dance, theatre and feeding we give the visitors an idea of a traditional culture which keeps its' beauty and impressiveness for thousands of years.

Beneficial influence on the society - the festival brings a very positive ginger of non-violence and cultivation of the culture at international level.

Encounter of eastern wisdom and western capacity - the festival is an illustrative demonstration of the intersection between ancient wisdom of the east and the progressive technological and material power of the western world.

Inspiration - an example of a lifestyle in harmony with nature, inherent respect to everything alive, with a relation to morality and generous life goals. An alternative to the excrescent problems with addiction to alcohol and drugs, violence, criminality, disregard and other social phenomena which are we daily confronted with.

Knowledge - The books, drawing on far history, but not loosing their autenticity due to their profound message.

Without intoxication - it is well known that alcohol and other drugs, even if they are source of a temporary pleasure and for many people also a source of money, cause disproportionally too much complication for the individual as well as for the society. Though the majority of social events require them, at our festival these substances will not be offered to the visitors.

Food for the life - The present society takes much more care of healthy lifestyle. In order to keep ourselves in both psychic and physical balance, besides exercises and regular sleeping regime, we should also notice the feeding - what we eat and when, what can we mix and what can we not and so on. And, last but not least, how to enjoy the meal. The variety of tastes, aromas and also dietetical values of traditional Indian cuisine will surprise and surely satisfy nearly every European gastronome.